With Apple announcing improvements in broadcast monitoring with the 10.0.4 update, the three main hardware manufacturers have announced software updates too.

***Motion & Compressor get updates***

Timed for the week before NAB, Apple have published the latest update to Final Cut Pro X, 10.0.4

Distributing templates and effects around different machines and editors can be made easy by using installers. Digital Rebellion's Pro Maintenance Tools gets an update that can build installers for custom plugin effects. Good job too as things are going to get even more complicated under Mountain Lion!

Life would be so much simpler for us editors if everybody used the same codec, preferably ProRes. VirtualMXF from Hamburg Pro Media brings a little more friendliness to handling MXF files in non linear editors.

Tired of waiting for your disks to spin back up to speed when you've not accessed them for a while from your NLE? The new version of Disksomnia from Digital Heaven will keep them ready.

The first thing we did this morning in the FCP.co office after switching the kettle on was to sit down and watch this video. Real life examples of FCPX in action are always welcome.

A bit of déjà vu going on here but more about that later. Indiescans have joined the film grain party by releasing three packs of film grain to superimpose over your footage.

An hour and a half long presentation on Final Cut Pro X from Ari Feldman of the Manhattan Edit Workshop. Good beginner viewing.

Billed as a look at the new features in the Motion 5.0.2 update, this episode really is all about keyframing and dropzones. Not to be missed.

Yes two things that are slightly shocking from the headline. The price and also the fact that it's only available for Final Cut Pro 7. Not all is lost though...