One reason that telecoms firms and handset manufacturers are so optimistic about the prospects for third-generation services is the wild success in Japan of i-mode.

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Jones' early hits, such as "Lightning, " "The Race Is On" and "Root Beer, " were in a high-powered, rockabilly mode, but he found his biggest success as a crooner.

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Though e-mail been a success for Japan's NTT DoCoMo's i-Mode service, some observers are skeptical about the breadth of unified messaging's appeal.

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Their early foray into a non-existent, still-emerging field (back when the Internet was still in dial-up mode) has made the company a two-fold super success.

FORBES: Finding Blue-Sky Success In The Cloud

Be sure to check out my interview with Dark Souls 2 director Yui Tanimura for more information about the game, Easy Mode, and the reason he thinks the first game was such a big success.

FORBES: A Closer Look at The New 'Dark Souls II' Screenshots