This really is great news. TechCrunch is reporting that the next version of Android — version number 2.2, code name Froyo — will have USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot creation built in. Built. In. Currently, no information is available on if the new feature can and/or will be blocked by mobile carriers…but seriously, good luck to them if they try. Nicely played Google, nicely played indeed.

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Eighteen days after the Palm Pre was released in retail outlets across the US, Sprint users have managed to push the Palm App Catalog past the one million download mark with 1,015,038 downloads as of yesterday. This means that for the 150,000 or so Pre handsets RBC analyst Mike Abramsky estimates Sprint sold thus far (official numbers have not been released by Palm or Sprint), each has downloaded an average of about seven applications and the average application has been downloaded roughly 33,800 times. These numbers are made even more impressive when the fact that only 30 applications are currently available in the App Catalog is considered. Remember, the SDK has to this date been available only to a select few and most of the applications found within are still in beta. Let’s also not forget that countless Sprint customers are still waiting for new shipments of the Pre which, as expected, has proven difficult to keep in stock. If all of Sprint and Palm’s ducks were in a row prior to launch (handset supply, open SDK, etc) just imagine where we’d be right now.

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According to an article at TechCrunch, Motorola is ramping up it efforts in the Android arena by hiring an additional 300 developers to supplement its current staff of 50. That is a huge increase and it appears as if Motorola, one of the original Open Handset Alliance members, is ready to get a little piece of that Android action. The same source also reported seeing some Nokia and Verizon reps at a recent Android developer conference. Neither Verizon or Nokia are part of the OHA, so what are they doing there? Having a change of heart about Android or just getting some competitive advantage? Only time will tell but it looks like things are starting to get interesting in the Android world.

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