MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – The next iteration of hypertext markup language, HTML5, slowly but surely is beginning to show up on the Web, and according to developers, the code is a game-changer. Not only does HTML5 make obsolete plug-in based technologies like Flash, Silverlight and JavaFX, but it also adds a number of whiz-bang new possibilities to website development. Developers can use native tags to enable immediate-mode 2D drawing, timed media playback, document editing, drag-and-drop functionality, cross-document messaging and browser history management; add new elements and form controls, and embed new attributes.The problem? Although Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari 4 and Mozilla’s Firefox 3.5 all embrace WebKit-based rendering engines — which are required to parse HTML5 — Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has yet to catch up with the pack. Since some form of IE is used by the majority of Web surfers at least part of the time, developers who launch sites that show off HTML5 features will be doing something akin to spitting in the wind.

Crafty Google, which seems determined to hoist Microsoft by the short hairs as often as possible these days, has a solution. The company has released an open-source plug-in that, essentially, allows Google’s browser to run inside IE.

By embedding a snippet of code in page headers, website developers can invoke a Chrome “wrapper,” complete with enhanced JavaScript rendering and support for all of HTML5’s nifty features. Users who have downloaded and installed the plug-in automatically will see the pages as the developer intended. Those without the plug-in will see a pop-up message advising them to download it or use Chrome, Safari or Firefox in order to take advantage of all the site has to offer.

Take that, Microsoft!

Of course, Google has an ulterior motive. This fall, the company plans to launch Google Wave, a real-time communication tool that makes extensive use of WebKit and HTML5.

“We’re building Google Chrome Frame to help Web developers deliver faster, richer applications like Google Wave,” a group of software engineers and product managers wrote on the company’s blog. “Developers can’t afford to ignore IE — most people use some version of IE — so they end up spending lots of time implementing work-arounds or limiting the functionality of their apps.

“With Google Chrome Frame, developers can now take advantage of the latest open Web technologies, even in Internet Explorer. From a faster Javascript engine, to support for current web technologies like HTML5’s offline capabilities and , to modern CSS/Layout handling, Google Chrome Frame enables these features within IE with no additional coding or testing for different browser versions.”

The metatag that invokes Google Chrome Frame and more information are available on Google’s Chromium blog.