HTML5 (the next specification for the HTML standard) has received a lot of press recently. In fact, the new specification has received more attention than any previous standard including groundbreaking updates like CSS which enabled the use of stylesheets on the web. Why so much attention? Mostly because Steve Jobs mentioned HTML5 by name at the iPad launch as the reason flash is not enabled on iPad or iPhone devices. Apple claims that Flash is the reason for "over 90% of all Mac crashes" and Steve Jobs has openly criticized Flash and deemed HTML5 as it's successor.

The Apple vs. Adobe debate has been very well covered and I refuse to write article #1,345 on why the Apple vs. Adobe fight matters. I do want to talk about why HTML5 is exciting and why it's important and why development teams be using it long before it's completed. It's not overstating it to say that the features in HTML5 will change how we experience the web.

5 things about HTML5 that are exciting and important.

1. Native video support. HTML5 also has native support for video which makes production for web teams a much easier proposition (although it does create problems for analytics that are still yet to be resolved). With native support, more teams will have an opportunity to publish video cheaper which should lead to even more video online. Video will be come a standard element on websites.
2. Canvas. Using attribute called "canvas" - teams can build full vector animations without using a lick of Flash. This means the experiences we have come to expect, will now be available to the growing iPad, iPhone and iWhateverElseAppleLaunches audiences. An excellent implementation of this element was done by the developers of Mozilla lab project Bespin.
3. Geolocation. HTML5 includes built in ability to do some pretty cool stuff. For example, location is built in. Using a combo of ISP data and wi-fi triangulation, cell IDs and many other data points -- your browser can now tell where you are (if you let it). This extends the reach of the new wave of geolocation applications like Foursquare, Gowalla etc. This also provides the opportunity to deliver more targeted or more personalized media or even tailored web experiences based on where you are in the world. The implications on next generation web applications are significant.
4. Web Workers. Separate background threads are used to do processing without effecting the performance of a webpage. This can be very useful for web applications which rely on heavy scripts to perform functions.
5. Caching.  The ability to store web apps like email locally and access it without having to connect to the internet or install an external client like Outlook or Thunderbird. Google gears, which helps you access Gmail offline, is an implementation of HTML 5 specifications for Applications Cache (and much more).

Why you'll be using HTML5 long before it's ratified.

Well first off, It's here. Many browsers are already HTML5 capable and there are hundreds of websites already using it. Roughly 50% of web users are already capable of experiencing the benefits of the new standard. Google Docs, for example makes use of the caching capability. Foursquare and Gowalla use location on their websites.

While the standard is being finalized, many aspects are complete or near completion (for example "canvas"). There are annotations in the spec. that explain the state. Some are marked "first revison" but others are marked "implemented and widely deployed".

I look forward to the evolution of the web with these new capabilities and expect great things from companies that value experience and the dev teams at agencies like P+S that will work to deliver these experiences.