diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e43789176..3d24738f8 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ New in 0.56
   Windoze and other platforms.
 * Also added a fall back to the GLUT joystick routines for windows (until
   we can find better joystick support.)
+* Added some initial serial port support for acting like gps and outputing 
+  nmea data such that could be fed into a flight map software package.
+* Miscellaneous code clean ups, portability improvements, and optimizations.
+* Switched to a streams based error/debug logging system that can be
+  completely stripped out for a release build (./configure --without-logging)
+* Support for cygwin32 b20 compiler (latest release)
+* Continued progress on instrument panel
+* Support for starting fgfs at higher resolutions.
 
 New in 0.55
 * New version of gpc (generic polygon clipping library) from 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 3792d592f..8d492c08b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ dnl
 AC_INIT(Simulator/Aircraft/aircraft.cxx)
 
 dnl Initialize the automake stuff
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(FlightGear, 0.56)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(FlightGear, 0.57)
 
 dnl Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET