The Flash 8 release is apparently right around the corner, & Macromedia's taking aim at getting Flash squarely into the web video arena this time around. An interesting move into an already crowded market segment, that's for sure. The beta version was released earlier this month, with the final expected sometime next month.

"But it is the software's video capabilities that are stirring the most interest, particularly among those who think the new version's improved codec, which is its particular video compression format, and various other advantages could make it a significant threat to Microsoft's Windows Media technology, RealNetworks' Real format and Apple Computer's QuickTime format."