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The wonders of HTML5

The big story in the computer world recently is the release of Internet Explorer 9 and Mozilla's Firefox 4 within the same week. Both browsers were released to positive reviews.

The big story in the computer world recently is the release of Internet Explorer 9 and Mozilla's Firefox 4 within the same week. Both browsers were released to positive reviews.

As for how well they perform, I'd say the jury is still out and will be out for some time. As the web gets more complex, so do browsers and the programming languages that create the web. Rather than simple HTML pages with images, tables and links, pages are loaded with rich content programmed in Java and Flash, CSS layouts and text, rich graphics and a level of interactivity that wouldn't have been possible with dial-up age download speeds.

One of the biggest points contended by the new browsers is who can deliver the best HTML 5 experience, which is the new web standard in development by the W3 consortium of web developers. W3 is the keeper of the keys, so to speak, and it certifies any new technologies for browsers as well as the standards for the root programming languages of the web itself. It's an ever-expanding library of features, plug-ins and ports, and W3's job is getting extremely complex.

That's why it's taking so long to regulate and certify HTML 5 to its current advanced but still unfinished state, which now allows for things like embedded videos, additional page elements and applications that you used to need a Flash plug-in to interact with.

All browsers have some level of HTML 5 compliance but use different engines to render HTML 5 content. For example, Google Chrome and Safari are based in the WebKit standard, while Mozilla uses Gecko, IE uses Trident and Opera uses Presto. All approach the web a little differently - some platforms are faster, other render more elements or render those elements in a more elegant way.

Because it's relatively new, we're only starting to see rich HTML 5 sites that fully utilize the new standards, as well as the new CSS3 standards that go with it.

One example of an HTML 5 experiment is Arcade Fire's - excuse me, Grammy Award-winning Aracade Fire's - video for their song "We Used to Wait," where you put in the address of the home where you grew up and are treated to a Google Street View montage of said home while other videos and content pop in and out of other windows on the screen. If you haven't seen it yet, visit www.thewildernessdowntown.com to see what it's all about, and for a better understanding of why HTML 5 is such a big deal.

Another good site to visit is Mozilla's Web 'O(pen) Wonder gallery (https://demos.mozilla.org/en-US/), where different HTML 5 websites are showcased. Other sites to check out are www.html5gallery.com and www.101besthtml5sites.com, and if you do a search for "HTML 5 websites" you'll find dozens of compelling website galleries.

And while you're browsing, keep in mind that it's still early days for the platform - HTML 5 most recent form was approved in February, while the final specifications won't be ready until 2014 - 15 years after the work started. The best is most definitely still to come.

 

Playbook release date set

In the world of tablets, Research In Motion is late to the game but I still believe there's a niche for the PlayBook, which the company confirmed will be available in Canada and the U.S. on April 19.

Reviewers have raved about the form factor, as well as features like built-in tethering with Blackberry devices - something other devices like the iPad 2 discourage. It's also on the small side and from an application perspective it offers a fraction as much software as tablets running iOS (Apple) and Android platforms. Most people expect Microsoft to pile on soon with a Windows 7 optimized tablet that uses the Windows Phone 7 layout.

But RIM and Blackberry have always been about business, and while the name "Playbook" suggests that this is a fun device it also seems like something we can expect high-powered execs to pull out of their double-breasted jacket pockets.

Small isn't necessarily a drawback for business users, who are all about portability. It doesn't have nearly as many apps for users, but it will have all the apps that matter to the business world, as well as all the mainstream apps like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Angry Birds, etc. It renders Flash in its web browser, which a lot of other tablets lack. It has lots of ports, including an HDMI out port that can stream HD television or connect to a projector to run a presentation. The two cameras are high quality and both are capable of recording 1080p footage. It has 1GB of RAM, a decent processor, onboard GP, accelerometer, gyroscope and digital compass - a suite of hardware extras that none of its competitors match right now. I'd like to see a stylus tucked into the case somewhere - I hate smudging up screens with my fingers - but that's probably not going to happen.

And the price is right. The 16 GB version will start at $499, followed by $599 and $699 version with 32 GB and 64 GB of storage respectively. That's slightly cheaper than comparable iPads. There's no 3G/4G Playbook model available that connects directly to the web through the cellular network, but this device has been designed as a companion to the Blackberry and tethering is both easy and encouraged.

Best of all, RIM is a Canadian company. These days, that matters.