How to Root the Nexus 6

One of the many benefits of getting a Nexus device, such as the Nexus 6, is the ability to easily root it and further customize the device’s operating system. Rooting, aka the act of gaining administrative rights, allows you to make changes to the device’s software that you normally wouldn’t be allowed to make.

One such change comes from the ability to flash custom ROMs. Custom ROMs, or custom versions of the operating system, allow you to flash an entirely new, more customizable version of the OS onto your Nexus 6. After rooting the Nexus 6, you can then flash a custom recovery, and finally a custom ROM. You can even flash multiple custom ROMs until you find one that suits your needs.

If any of that sounds as exciting to you as it does to me, fire up your Windows PC and get started with these steps.  Note that this will erase your device so be sure to backup anything you need to keep to your computer.  

New Dji Drone Firmware Will Prevent White House Joy Rides, Border Drug Runs

Popular consumer drone-maker DJI is using firmware to fight some potential abuses of its hobbyist hardware, with an update that will prevent its Phantom 2-series drones from being able to fly onto the White House lawn, or carry drugs across country borders. This ones after an unauthorized drone made its way to an ignominious end on the White House land earlier this week, and after a drone packed with meth crashed trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico last week.

The firmware update (via TheNextWeb) essentially just puts geographic restrictions in place that act as “no-fly zones,” adding a virtual barrier extending 25 kilometers from downtown DC in all directions and effectively blocking either take-off or even flying entry by a drone. National borders are included too, to try to prevent DJI drones from being used for the kind of drug smuggling operation described above.

There are also 10,000 new airports added to the Phantom firmware’s no-fly list, which should prevent the consumer gadgets from getting in the way of air traffic and generally causing problems.

The primary concern of drone-makers and others invested in making autonomous vehicles a viable consumer and commercial business should be addressing these kinds of perceived threats as soon as they arise. Ones drones are perceived as a credible threat to public safety, complete with examples people can point to back up their claims, it will be much harder to convince legislators to regulate in favor of broader use.