HTML5: Quick Wrap Up

So, in the world of the interwebs, staying on the bleeding edge is a must. Well, that is if your business or career is focusing in that domain. I’m sure most of you have been around conversations where HTML5 has been tossed around. And if not, well…you can keep reading for a quick wrap.

Apple and Google have thrown this term around a lot, perhaps with their on going battles of smart phones and super duper tech devices. Either way, HTML5 is something that will make the world of web developers and internet browsers a bit more smooth. Why should one care what is HTML5? Well, it will provide a better user experience, especially with rich multimedia integration and delivery. Previously, rendering and displaying flash/video required third party plug ins. But let’s get down to some key details:

1. Canvas Element – This is a 2D drawing API. It allows designers and developers to create graphics on the fly. Awesome!
2. Video Element – Allows for embedding video, hopefully, without 3rd party plug ins with no problems. This here is quite a big deal, as this now may be a new standard of video delivery. May kill flash? Maybe.
3. Geolocation – Now as opposed to IP based location detection, HTML5 can help determine location by wifi towers and GPS. Kind of nifty eh?
4. Offline Web Applications – Say what now? This API allows users to interact with applications and edit documents even if network connection is not available. This can really push email development.

Those 4 are a good start; there are plenty of other tweaks and abilities. But it depends on your browser (so far). So which browsers are best for HTML5?
Google Chrome
Apple Safari
Firefox
Opera
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is on the bottom of the list because believe it or not, it’s behind in compatibility. Odd…

So that’s a quick wrap up. I myself am trying to wrap my head around HTML5 + CSS3.