With the emergence of easy-to-use development tools offering more control and features, the applications for HTML5 technology are expanding. Consequently, this past week, a music power house branched into TV games using HTML5, while a manufacturer of smart connected systems displayed the power of HTML5 in automotive applications. In addition, Open IPTV (News – Alert) Forum published a connected TV profile to expedite the adoption of HTML5 in connected TVs and STBs.

Contributing TMCnet writer Steve Anderson reported that music powerhouse Pandora (News – Alert) has branched out into television. To make this move, Pandora is using PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. As per the report, Pandora’s HTML5-based interface should offer a better experience for users.

Similarly, smart connected systems manufacturer Bsquare disclosed automated testing and HTML5 development tools for automotive applications. Contributing writer David Delony reported that Bsquare’s HTML5 development technology allows developers to create rich interfaces for applications such as navigation or entertainment systems. The report also suggests that the company’s TestQuest (News – Alert) allows automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to test their technologies in conditions in which customers will actually use them in the real world. The report further shows that suppliers can also swap test cases and share information to their mutual benefit for more cost-effective testing.

In other news, Open IPTV Forum (OIPF) published a connected TV profile to support interoperability between entertainment services and connected TVs via the HTML5 powered Web browser. According to TMCnet contributor Tara Seals, the profile targets the gamut of players: connected TV manufacturers, application developers, and content and service providers. If TV-makers build the spec into the hardware, and developers write for the platform, then the content providers and distributors can implement a seamless, standardized, IP-based way to leverage rich HTML5 applications with linear TV functionality, wrote Seals.

The report quotes president of the Open IPTV Forum, Nilo Mitra as saying, "The browser is becoming the industry accepted platform for multiscreen media consumption, and HTML5 has been endorsed by the global technical community as the basis for interoperable services on connected devices.” He added, “It was therefore important for the Open IPTV Forum to ensure that retail-connected TVs and STBs, which have been the main focus of the OIPF since its founding, take advantage of HTML5 and the latest Web technologies."

Meanwhile, Google’s (News – Alert) advertising arm DoubleClick unveiled a new, HTML5-based website design tool called Google Web Designer. It promises to offer far greater control over and creativity with advertising, reported TMCnet contributing writer Rory Lidstone. The report indicates that the Google Web Designer can do more than advertising. It can also be used to create complete Web content, from sites to applications, all for free.