HTML5 is the updated version of the online code used to build websites. The newer version of this code allows websites to integrate multimedia -- videos, pictures, graphics and words (that not stagnate) -- into its mainframe. CSS3 is the markup language that programmers can lay on top of the HTML to make websites even more visually appealing (think: accessories to make websites extra fancy).
Recent examples of the magic of HTML5 include two interactive music experiences. Arcade Fire's The Wilderness Downtown and OK Go x Pilobulos' All Is Not Lost. Both were built with the Google Chrome team to showcase the advanced web technologies allowing people to see a new virtual world.
Wix.com says there's no need to be a world-class web designer to use HTML5. The company unveiled a free HTML5 website builder with plenty of easy-to-use templates on Monday. The six-year-old company already has over 20 million free and premium users building flash websites using the myriad of DIY templates.
"With the HTML5 launch Wix users will have an even greater freedom to create ultra-modern and user-friendly websites that best cater to their needs," Omer Shai, VP of marketing at Wix, told Mashable.
Wix built the new series of templates for people with small businesses, designers, photographers and corporations that want to take their web presence to the next level. There's absolutely no need for code. Individuals can simply drag and drop different website features and type in words where needed.
HTML5 features will optimize integrating video, open up font/typography options, make galleries more optimal for viewing and introduce an element of interactivity. Best of all, HTML5-based websites are supposed by most new devices.
This all means the web experience will be faster, cleaner and make galleries and videos more fluid. Social media and search optimization are also improved features of these new templates.
"HTML5 provides new technological capabilities and solutions for products that don’t support Flash," Shai said. "The majority of browsers support HTML5 now and it's market share is growing very quickly, the popularity of mobile web browsing is on a constant rise and HTML5 is compatible across the web."
With Wix's HTML5 builder individuals can build small business web pages (see here) and personal portfolios (like this one).