Detecting clicks OUTSIDE of the swf

is there any way for flash to register mouse events that happen outside of the swfs display area… or even outside of the browser window.

i have an RIA that would be much improved if i could tell that the user released the mouse after having dragged outside of the swf. as of now, if the user presses inside the swf (to drag something) and then releases outside the swf, the item is still being dragged when they reenter the swfs boundaries.

i could have an interval constantly checking if the mouse is down, but i was hoping not to need a constant loop running as it slows things down.

thanks homeys