> Google has announced that it plans to discontinue active development of Gears, a browser plug-in that enables Web features like local storage and geolocation services. The search giant says that emerging Web standards offer increasingly viable alternatives to the specific capabilities that are provided by Gears.
via [arstechnica.com](http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/02/gears-adopters-face-rough-transition-as-google-goes-html5.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
This is absolutely the right move for Google. Sure, you risk upsetting some developers, but ultimately, standards trump proprietary plugins when it comes to browser functionality.
As long as Google kept this functionality in a plugin, it was never going to get Gears to work on the iPhone, anyway. With HTML5, Google not only gets iPhone compatibility for free and without risk of Apple’s blocking, but it also avoids platform conflicts, all while discouraging the use of lame browsers like IE in favor of Chrome. It’s a win-win for everyone but Microsoft. Which is exactly what Google wants right now.
I admire any company that has the guts to change its mind about future plans, in light of newly emerging technologies. So long as the change is clearly for the better.
