HTML5

I am sure you have heard this term tossed around in relation to Adobe Flash, Apple, Steve Jobs, iPhone/iPad, and mobile browsing. If not, you will. First let's talk about HTML. HTML is an abbreviation for HyperText Markup Language.


First, what is hypertext: this is just a fancy way of saying more than just text. It refers to text which links to other text, which links to other text and so one. It is because of this that the internet has been nicknamed, the "Web," it is a web of "hyperlinks." And now for Markup Language. Markup Language is code which gives text attributes, such as bold, being part of a list, being the title of the page, font size, etc.
 There are many other markup languages such as XML. The point of a markup language is so that something written on one machine can be sent to a completely different machine and be shown different ways. This is why if you have a page full of text you can resize your browser window and the text will adjust accordingly.
Every few years, the tech geeks who "control" html make additions. Recently they have added an element called canvas to the newest version of html, html5. This and other elements have allowed html to produce videos and basic games without having to use an Adobe Flash plugin. However, not all browsers are compliant with these new standards (ahem....Internet Explorer) so the new technology does not hit the mainstream for years. The benefits of html5 are: less resource consumption when compared to flash (ex. less fan noise, better battery life), better security because html5 is part of the browser and not a separate plugin, more accessible to programmers because you don't need a special program to write html.
Here is the controversy, and where I get to give my opinion. Apple has repeatedly refused to allow Adobe to put flash on the iPhone and iPad, claiming the reasons listed above and saying that flash is a dying technology. However, on the flipside, html5 is years from widespread adoption and I think apple fears that if flash were on its devices people could play games for free on the web that they currently buy through the app store.
Just a last note, if you look in your browser's address bar you will see that the address begins with "http....." This stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol and tells the computer that the page you are reading was transmitted using the "accepted" standard for doing so. Also https means that the page has been transmitted using a secure, encrypted method.

EPILOGUE: Html is included with every browser but not all browsers support it equally. Some process the code faster than others, some support more features than others. Html5 brings tons of new features to the html language but not all browsers support it. Internet Explorer does not support html5, Firefox supports some html5, Safari a good bit more, and Chrome and Opera support almost all html5 elements. There is a reason (albeit, not very satisfying) why there is such varying support for these new standards. They aren't made up, but they also aren't "forced" upon browsers. Html is "technically" controlled by a company called W3C. W3C still has a "beta" tag on html5, this is the only reason people have for not supporting it, and this reason is woefully insufficient because even though is not official, it willed be called beta for many years, and it is still quite easily implemented.

Further Reading:
HTML5: seriously, it's not just for video -- Engadget (requires: Chrome, Opera, or Safari to fully enjoy)
Will Apple Embrace the Web? No.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20003742-264.html