From new technology to businesses celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss, it’s been a busy week for many San Diego-based companies

Stars Wars Game Fun

Headquartered in San Diego, Sony Online Entertainment LLC, said it has developed Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™, a free-to-play, action packed virtual world for fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television series on Cartoon Network.

Developed and published by SOE, creators of the kids’ game, Free Realms, and licensed by LucasArts, in conjunction with Lucasfilm Ltd., Clone Wars Adventures will launch online and in retail stores this fall.

Focused on creating a fun and safe online environment for kids and families, Clone Wars Adventures offers minigames, activities, social events and thousands of customization options.  Players can even battle it out with friends alongside iconic Star Wars characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Ahsoka Tano.

With Clone Wars Adventures, a new generation of Star Wars fans can become the next great hero of the Republic and take their rightful place alongside the Jedi, Padawan and Clone Troopers. Players can speed through space in a starfighter, take out waves of battle droids in Tower Defense or test their brains with challenging Droid Programming puzzles.  Players can also purchase legendary Star Wars outfits, items and accessories through micro-transactions using Station Cash, SOE’s virtual currency.

SOE creates, develops and provides entertainment for the personal computer, online game console and wireless devices. Hit titles include EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, PlanetSide®, and Star Wars Galaxies, as well as the recent kids’ Free Realms. Headquartered in San Diego, with additional development studios in Austin, Seattle, Denver, and Tucson, AZ, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development across various platforms and genres for audiences of all ages.

One Reverse Mortgage Hires The Fonz

One Reverse Mortgage, the nation’s third largest reverse mortgage lender, has snagged award-winning actor and children’s book author Henry Winkler a.k.a. “The Fonz” to serve as its spokesperson for its major advertising campaigns. Winkler will also grace the company’s literature and web site.

“As we began the search for a spokesperson, our criteria was simple – we insisted on a person of great character who could help us spread the word about reverse mortgages and our company,” said Jay Farner, CEO of One Reverse Mortgage.  “Henry embodies this quality and has shown, through his excellence as an actor, children’s author and family man that he represents all that One Reverse Mortgage is about.”

“Because of his integrity, we feel that Henry will be very helpful in extending our reach with retirees and seniors, allowing us to open the dialogue about reverse mortgages and the many benefits they offer folks 62 or older,” Farner added.

Reverse mortgages offer homeowners 62 and over the opportunity to convert a portion of the equity in their home to cash, while also eliminating the need for monthly mortgage payments.

“Once I learned of the work One Reverse Mortgage was doing to help seniors, I was immediately interested,” Winkler said.  “I have always been committed to helping others, and I see my work here as the next step in that effort.  Reverse mortgages provide homeowners with options, and unfortunately, not enough people know they exist.  If I can help just one person save his or her home or live a happier retirement, my efforts will be well worth it.”

New Web Site For Planners

PenChecks, Inc. recently announced its new web site designed to make it easier for Retirement Plan Providers, Plan Advisors, Third Party Administrators and Plan Sponsors to find information about complex distribution issues. The new site includes extensive information about all of the qualified taxable account, IRA and uncashed distribution checks services that PenChecks offers.

In addition, four comprehensive Service groups make it easy to find details on PenChecks’ different products: Distribution Services, IRA Services, Specialty Services and IRA Rewards Program. There is centralized direct access to proprietary online software that handles processing functions powered by PenChecks which are available 24/7.

Also, its Resource Center has been fine-tuned so clients can find a central knowledge base of answers on distribution questions.

Since 1994, San Diego-based PenChecks has been an independent provider of outsourced benefit distribution services in the U.S.

Dr. Seuss Celebration

In honor of 50 years of Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish entertaining children around the world, Random House Children’s Books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Ocean Project, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are partnering to celebrate World Oceans Day, held annually on June 8. Seventy-five AZA accredited zoos and aquariums across the country, and more than 600 Ocean Project partners worldwide will host fun-filled family events inspired by One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, with the goal of teaching children about our ocean’s great diversity of life and the important things we can all do to protect our shared world ocean.

“From here to there, from there to here, funny things are everywhere.” Children will have fun getting to know the ocean’s funny things with Seussian games and activities. Since the 2010 World Oceans Day honors former La Jolla resident Dr. Seuss, visitors to San Diego County will be able to choose from a host of special events throughout the region, including the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Botanic Garden, SEA LIFE Aquarium and Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

Originally published in 1960, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish remains a beloved Seuss favorite and has sold more than 9 million copies to date. Its popular and funny creatures in this Beginner Book teach the concept of reading with easy rhyme and identifiable illustrations. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish takes children on wildlife adventure and, like all of Dr. Seuss’s books, makes learning to read fun.

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