http://blog.chromium.org/2010/08/get-your-apps-ready-for-chrome-web.html

<<Since our announcement of the Chrome Web Store at Google I/O, our team has been hard at work preparing for our launch later this year. Today we’re making the first step towards this milestone by making available a developer preview of the Chrome Web Store. >>

[Fixed spelling in title --Roger]

Also see:

http://blog.chromium.org/2010/08/security-improvements-and-registration.html

I asked few questions regarding these changes. Here is the reply I got from Chrome team:

http://blog.arpitnext.com/2010/08/googles-reply-on-chrome-extension-developer-fee.html

Apps are also in the Sync option in the latest Chromium build.