Tupac Shakur was believed to have been dead for 15 years. Well, and he sort of still is. But in today’s tech-driven society reality can be re-programed, rendered, and projected onto a stage in front of tens of thousands of fans.

This past weekend, for just under five minutes Tupac came back to life. And thanks to footage uploaded to YouTube, millions have witnessed the comeback of the decade. The hype and viewer interest has already pushed the possibility of a “virtual Tupac tour in coming months.”

Against all odds, Tupac is officially back. But he’s not alone.

On the tech-front another resurrection is brewing. Just like ‘Pac, it’s been believed for sometime now that the “web is dead”.Wired Magazine less about searching and more about getitng said it over a year ago. So too did Scientific America. And many others are saying it.

But, with the help of HTML5, the web is poised for a comeback.

Who killed the web?

Apps & Widgets are believed to have put “two in the chest” of conventional web development. Think: Angry Birds, CityVille, Skype, Pandora, Twitter, Facebook apps and the like — people spend more time playing Temple Run then they do sleep.

Users bypass websites and go directly to widgets. And some leaders in the internet community are predicting that this app-centric trend is here to stay. Here is what I’d say to those people:

Do remember back in September of 1996 when Tupac was shot dead? Remember how not everyone believed he was actually dead? There were the conspiracy theorists, the doubters, the naysayers. Crazy for them to think such a thing, right? Wrong!…it turns out, these skeptics were right. All it takes is one big idea, a little elbow grease, and a basement full of programmers to make the impossible, possible.

Pumping life backing into the deceased rapper was the holographic* skills produced by Digital Domain Media Group Inc. (the same visual-effects company that produced the virtual Brad Pitt in the 2008 movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”)

It should be obvious at this point that HTML5 is the technical life source behind the web’s resurrection.

What’s so great about HTML5

First, let’s breakdown what exactly HTML5 is.

HMTL5 is not a single thing or a monolithic technology. It is a collection of features, technologies, and APIs that brings the power of the desktop and the vibrancy of multimedia experience to the web HTML5 does not belong to a company or a specific browser. It has been forged by a community of people interested in evolving the web and a consortium of technological leaders that includes Google, Microsoft, Apple, Mozilla, Facebook, IBM, HP, Adobe, and many others.

– html5rocks.com

Two kinds of early adopters are already falling in love with HTML5:  web developers and Internet users.

Web developers are warming up to HTML5 because it allows them to design apps and websites with the performance, speed, functionality and experience of desktop application. It also allows them to seamlessly roll-out new work, updates, feature integrations and more. And since apps are built on a web platform they can reach a much larger audience, instead of narrowly targeting iPhone users.

Internet users are falling in love with HTML5 because it allows for the hassle-free usage of apps, no installation needed and no need to download upgrades. Apps built with HTML5 can be used instantly, with the click of a button. And data, settings and tools follow you to any platform (i.e. switch from using an iPad to desktop to mobile, etc).

Still not convinced?

You will be soon enough. All it takes is a quick look around the web for examples of newly designed HTML5 websites too see and experience its power and appeal. Bloggers have been aggregating awesome examples: 55 Awesome Sites using HTML5 and CSS3 & HTML5 Gallery | A showcase of sites using HTML5 markup are a great start. A personal favorite of mine is Nike’s “Better World” page.

We are just beginning to see how HTML5 can be used to create a powerful user experience and to-date this markup language is pretty impressive.

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*”Though the projected image has been widely described as a “hologram,” it is a 2-D image and not a hologram, which is 3-D. - via WSJ