Droid by Motorola Update 2 Android 2.2 FroYo Does Without Tether & Wi-Fi Hotspots

The classic Droid, aka Droid by Motorola, will be getting the update to upgrade the Android 2.2 FroYo update this week, starting with a slow rollout tomorrow.  However, reports confirm it will not include the ability to use the Droid as a tethered modem or as a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Droid update does add many many features, that you will love, a full list of the features appears at the end of this article.

The tether and hotspot features generally come with an additional monthly fee from Verizon of  $20 per month for 2GB of data.

Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney confirmed that  Droid doesn't support a mobile hotspot.

 The Droid X mobile hotspot service is very useful and employs a special chip from Texas Instruments. The next generation Droid 2 is also expected to have the mobile hotspot feature.

"With tethering there is no Connection on the PC side that will
allow you to tether the device so the answer is that option isn't part
of this update," Raney is quoted to have written in an email.
The over-the-air update will go to just a few users first, then Verizon will begin the general roll-out in phases.

FroYo  Android 2.2 is
faster than previous versions of Android
(faster than iPad too) and has close to twenty
improvements that include
supporting Adobe Flash 10.1, MS Exchange

support, and a uniifed inbox.  FroYo  Android 2.2 offers multiple e-mail account
support, camera improvements, a better
browser, and a re-designed calendar. A major improvement is the
ability to store apps on the microSD card, allowing for more space for
apps.
There is planned streaming
music service too.

Note the Verizon support page warns "The "Install now" and "Restart & install"
options will not be available if your device does not have enough power
availability. The system update requires 40% or more power availability
if not connected to an external power source and 20% power availability
if connected to a power source."

The official Droid update page from Verizon notes these improvements:

• Improved Web browsing with Adobe Flash® Player 10.1 beta forAndroid, now available for download via Market.
• New security options including remote device wipe and device lock,password complexity, and minimum password length.
• New tips, shortcuts, and assistance from a home-screen widget help users better navigate their phones.
• Easily switch between the eight most recent applications.
• Bluetooth voice dialing displays your verbal instructions and repeats them back.
• Switch between letters, numbers, and symbols with a touchscreen swipe.
• Camera's video mode now uses LED flash, and on-screen buttons, make it easy to control zoom, white balance, focus, exposure, andgeo-tagging.
• Camcorder functions also provide easy-to-use formatting forv uploading to YouTube™ or MMS.
• Enhanced browser performance for faster loading of JavaScrip theavy pages.
• Rotate the screen 270 degrees to work with apps in any direction.
• Check USB connectivity status at a glance with a color-coded widget.
• Improved security with numeric and alphanumeric password options.
• Enhanced audio quality.
• View PDFs and Microsoft® Office files sent from Outlook® 2003,
• Yahoo!, and Outlook Express email accounts, as well as TXT file attachments from Verizon.net email accounts.
• Keep original home-page icon locations after an over-the-air update.
• Easy shortcuts for access to the phone, application launcher, and browser from any of the five home screens.
• Management of password policies for Microsoft Exchange administrators across all devices.
• Sync your Exchange email account to your phone and auto-complete recipient addresses.
•  Support Exchange calendars in the Calendar application.
•  Edit recurring Corporate Calendar meetings with a large number of invitees.
• Improved picture management for photos sent to Droid
  via Bluetooth.
• Use the Voice-to-Text feature while rotating the device from portrait to landscape.
•  Improved Hotmail sync for accounts with a large number of emails.
• Streamlined efficiency in Microsoft Exchange Active SyncCorporate Calendar for meeting notices.
• Use Music Player and Visual Voicemail simultaneously.
• Improved Motorola Corporate Directory application.
• Plus, use Bluetooth voice dialing for hands-free calling and hear your instructions repeated