Google Unveils New Google Docs Platform, Ditches Gears

Google announced that it has re-architected the platform underlying its Docs web-based applications. The Mountain View-based web search powerhouse said at its Atomosphere 2010 event that the new web app infrastructure would improve performance and offer more flexibility in delivering new features more quickly. Public preview versions of Docs’ spreadsheet and document editors and a new drawings app are online now. The upgrade, however, will also ditch Google Gears in favor of HTML 5 for offline functionality starting May 3. For non-connected scenarios, the new foundation will take advantage of emerging standards within the HTML 5 specification to handle offline work in Docs