But I think that dismissing the YouTube livestream achievement as trivial is like the joke about the talking dog that was criticized for not enunciating properly: the real point is that YouTube has blown post being merely a repository for archived video and is now a prominent force in live, real-time national news coverage.

FORBES: Twitter and YouTube Are Blowout Winners in Presidential Debate

In December Fab launched a real-time live feed so people could see what others are buying.

FORBES: Fab.com Turns Up Social Volume Again

Opta is currently the driving force behind Matchday Live, a free mobile application that allows fans to track game statistics in real time.

FORBES: Statistics Investment Paying Off In Major League Soccer

This one-night-only film event was via live satellite, broadcast from L.A., which meant watching it in real time as Goodall talked with filmmakers and celebrities before the film aired.

FORBES: Defying The Odds Of Extinction: 'Chimpanzee,' Jane Goodall And The Gonze Stream

Haile is a percussionist that can listen to live players, analyze their music in real-time and improvise with music of its own.

ENGADGET: Georgia Tech's Shimi robot wants to rock with you all night, rock the night away

This year, the phenomenon has evolved into mobile and live versions, enabling users to share holiday cheer on the go and in real time, with a global audience.

FORBES: How Marketers Can Make the Holiday Nice List

The channel keeps fans up-to-date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see every important play.

ENGADGET: NFL Network and RedZone Channel coming to Time Warner Cable (Update: Officially confirmed)

The site now hosts real-time webcasts of live auctions once a week or so, with web bidders represented in the real-world auction room by a Dove employee with a paddle.

ECONOMIST: The new old thing

And there are few things scarier than standing up in front of a group of real live people and hearing words come out of your mouth for the very first time.

FORBES: Presenting You and Your Business: Opportunities Not To Be Missed (Especially In A Wacky Economy)