From high atop the summit of Mount Fuji last summer, despite miserable weather and poor visibility, 32-year-old tech enthusiast Joseph Tame sent video coverage of a spectacular solar eclipse live to the Internet from an impromptu mobile-broadcasting studio. With little more than a laptop and a Web connection, Tame's high-altitude adventure was watched by about 370 viewers down below.
"The sky cleared just enough to see the eclipse," says Tame. "The party atmosphere was amazing. I'm there with my white MacBook, carrying it around and telling people, 'We're broadcasting live, what do you think of it?' It was incredible."
The Fuji climb was a great example of the promise of Ustream, a live-streaming video service. Having received ¥1.8 billion in investment from Japanese telecom giant SoftBank in January this year, Ustream is now seeping into mainstream consciousness in Japan, enabling aspiring broadcasters to shout their message from the mountains, valleys and everywhere in between — all in real time.