Arri has recently started the second Open Beta phase for Software Update Packet 10.0, and they've announced some exciting features for this release.

SNS and NewTek recently announced the compatibility of their flagship products - the SNS EVO server and NewTek's TriCaster and 3Play. With this combination, EVO expands the storage and workflow possibilities of the NewTek products.

Yesterday, Freefly Systems released the latest firmware (v3.08) for the MōVI family, which adds a few significant features and important bug fixes. The feature I'm looking forward to the most is the added support for the optional MōVI Controller, which can be used in lieu of the standard wireless controller, and lets users make tuning adjustments directly from the unit, no computer or tablet required.

Apple just released Final Cut Pro 10.1.2, which has a host of new features including improved media management tools, Rec709 LUT support for Log footage (Arri, Sony, Canon, and Blackmagic cameras), 3DLUT support for the Arri AMIRA, and support for their new ProRes 4444 XQ codec.

At Cine Gear 2014, Switronix showed the updated version of their popular Jetpack breakout box - the Jetpack X.

At our pre-Cine Gear Zacuto demo in LA, product designers Steve Weiss and Jens Bogehegn debuted their new Control Grip and Z-Motor. It was the first time they had appeared outside of the lab, and at Cine Gear Expo, I visited the Zacuto booth to get an even more detailed walkthrough from Steve.

Howard Preston invented the original Light Ranger, an automatic laser focus system, back in the early '90s and at this year's Cine Gear Expo, his company, Preston Cinema Systems, debuted the Light Ranger 2.

During our Abel Cine Gear Week event highlighting camera movement and wireless systems, Redrock Micro showed off their powerPack Universal mounted to a Freefly Systems MōVI. When I stopped by their booth at this year's Cine Gear Expo, Loren Simons was nice enough to give me an even closer look at the whole setup and explain exactly what makes this little box so unique.

One of the most important features of the new Arri AMIRA is its ability to load 3D LUTs (Look Up Tables), which really allows you to modify the way the camera looks. The ALEXA allows for basic LUTs with ASC CDL adjustments, but the AMIRA goes a step beyond that to allow for full customization of the image.