The scoop

the scoop

calling all screamers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for the perfect combination of the best dancers and most enthusiastic entertainers in Northeast Ohio to be members of the 2008-09 Scream Team. The Scream Team, a dynamic group of performers that possess both dance and athletic abilities, are a central part of the entertainment at Cavs games.

The squad, known for its tumbling and break-dance stunts, performed internationally for the NBA China preseason games and were only one of two entertainment teams invited to the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

The preliminary open-call audition for the 2008-09 Scream Team will be held at the Quicken Loans Arena on July 26. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the audition will begin at 10 a.m. Finalists will be called back for a July 27 audition.

Dance and/or performing experience is preferred but not required. Pre-audition Jam Sessions (workshops) are strongly recommended.

Candidates should pre-register atcavs.com. Walk-ups are being asked to arrive early to complete paperwork. A nonrefundable $10 application processing fee and photograph are required.

For more, go to cavs.com or call (216) 420-2482. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age by Nov. 1.

new toys for the wii

The Wii Remote is getting in touch with its sensitive side.

Nintendo unveiled Wii MotionPlus at the E3 Business and Media Summit in Los Angeles this week. The new accessory plugs into the base of the Wii Remote and will provide more intuitive motion controls. Wii MotionPlus is scheduled for release in spring and will come packaged with “Wii Sports Resort,” which will feature beach-themed activities such as frisbee throwing and jet skiing.

The company also showed off music simulator “Wii Music” and the WiiSpeak room microphone, which will sell for $29.99. Nintendo said the first game to use the microphone would be “Animal Crossing: City Folk.” Games announced for the Nintendo DS include “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars” and “Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades.”

ohio is in fashion

Ohio is very “in” on the fifth season of “Project Runway.”

The Bravo channel says three of the 16 fashion designer contestants have connections to the Buckeye State, including two who live in Columbus.

According to the show’s Web site, 27-year-old Kelli has been interested in retail since the age of 15 and has her own boutique in her hometown, and 39-year-old Terri is a stylist and designer now working for Victoria’s Secret.

The third competitor with Ohio ties is 37-year-old Suede, a native of Seven Hills near Cleveland who says his biggest fashion influence is Madonna.

The contestants are vying for a $100,000 prize.

green light special

timing is everything

Still haven’t splurged for a high-end video-game system?

Well, savvy shopper, now may be the time.

Microsoft has just cut the cost of the Xbox 360 Pro (the one with the 20-gigabyte hard drive) by $50, from $350 to $300. A new model of the 360 Pro, with a 60 GB drive, has been introduced with the $350 price tag.

Microsoft is hoping the changes could help the 360 regain momentum against the surging PlayStation 3.

metallica download

Activision’s “Guitar Hero World Tour” is one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated games, but the company has big news for fans who can’t wait for that: Metallica will be releasing its next album, “Death Magnetic,” as a “Guitar Hero III” download on the same day that the CD arrives in stores.

“It’s exciting, 27 years into your career, to be doing something first,” said Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. “In five to 10 years it’ll be a normal thing to release an album to ’Guitar Hero’ the same day as the record.”

To make its big announcement, Activision eschewed a booth at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles in favor of a reception at a former cathedral. A big chunk of the video games community — namely, the companies that make them and the journalists who write about them — is in Los Angeles this week for the annual gathering where most of us get our first look at games for the holiday season.