The first public beta of Macromedia Central is available. If you haven't heard of Central, this article explains the basics.
Many web authors still think that Flash is geared towards creating annoying banners and intro screens, but as Central illustrates, Flash has come into its own as an application development tool. What's most interesting - at least to me - is that Central provides shareware authors with an alternative to existing methods of software registration and delivery.
Update: News.com is also reporting about Central.