Verizon's Motorola Droid is a brand-new phone today. Like many smartphones before it, the Droid has been rooted so that owners of the Android 2.0-based smartphone can install multitouch support (including pinch-to-zoom gestures), enhanced themes and other previously forbidden goodies.

Cyanogen, a well-known Android modder, tweeted this afternoon "Droid does … ROOT" and linked to an Android message board where the exploit is posted. Zinx Verituse, the hacker who discovered the exploit, posted the essential details and links to the file so modders can get down to business.

So, what does this mean for Droid owners?

A rooted Droid means the user will have administrative rights and the ability to control every aspect of the phone, not just those that Motorola or Verizon have provided access to. A person will be able to download widgets that allow them to overclock their processor or install themes that dramatically change the appearance of their phone. Cyanogen offers custom builds that truly customize a device and provides easy access to hidden features.

For instance, why does the lower-end Droid Eris have multitouch while the high-end Droid doesn't? Because Motorola and Verizon decided not to implement pinch-to-zoom in the Droid, even though it has the capability to do so.

Now that the Droid is "rooted," in modder lingo, it will be easy for someone like Cyanogen to simply turn on pinch-to-zoom in a custom build.

While today marks a great feat in the Android community, rooting a phone does involve risks. If you have no idea what you're doing or what unlocking is, you might run the risk of bricking your phone (making it useless) or disabling essential features. Needless to say, unlocking will probably void your warranty and might put you in violation of the carrier's terms-of-service agreement.

But now that the Droid floodgates have been opened, it's only a matter of time until we see the Droid doing some really cool stuff.

Photo By Jon Snyder

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