14 DAY TRIAL // There’s a lot of zealotry when it comes to HTML5, but technology is still more of a promise than anything else. The proposed web standard is certainly not without its merits, but its presence on the web today is still small. Outside of high-profile experiments, like YouTube, HTML5 is far from being widespread. But that may actually not be a bad thing. Already, HTML5 is helping websites, like Gmail, push the boundaries of what’s possible and they’re only using a small fraction of what the new web technologies can do.
To catch a glimpse of what HTML5 and a number of technologies that get labeled together can really do, Google has created Chrome Experiments. The site was launched a year and a half ago and the aim was to give developers a place to showcase their wildest creations. The experiments don’t have to be practical necessarily, all they need to do is use the tools available in innovative ways.
“Last year we launched Chrome Experiments, a website showcasing innovative web experiments built with open standards like JavaScript and HTML5. Today we’re pleased to announce that the site now points to 100 experiments -- each one made, hosted, and submitted by programmers from around the world,” Aaron Koblin and Valdean Klump from the Google Creative Lab (yes, they have one of those) wrote.
“A big step forward has been the widespread adoption and support of HTML5, which is becoming standard in all modern browsers. New functionality like the video and canvas tags have made for some inspiring work,” they added.
The best part is that, in the 18 months since the site launched, browsers have really come a long way. Most modern browsers have good support for HTML5 features, Safari, Firefox, Opera and, of course, Chrome. Even the upcoming Internet Explorer 9 is putting HTML5 front and center.
Most of the experiments focus on visual impact and they surely deliver. Google picked Destructive Video, SketchPad, and Harmony as some of its favorite experiments. But there are a lot more to choose from like Browser Pong, a working Pong game which uses browser windows, or the psychedelic Plane Deformations experiment. And if Destructive Video whets your appetite for mayhem, you can check out the Google Gravity experiment for even more.