Before they pack into Times Square Monday night, thousands of New Year's Eve revelers will pass through the kind of intensive security measures that are normally found inside the nation's airports. While the crowd will probably be keenly aware of the heavy police presence, bomb-sniffing dogs and metal-sensing hand wands, there is one critical security measure that may escape their notice. This year -- for the first time in the New York Police Department's history -- officials will have a camera-equipped, remote-controlled quadcopter on hand with the ability to buzz above the exuberant crowd. The drone's camera will be one of more than 1,200 fixed cameras being used by police at the celebration, according to NBC's "Today" show. Compared with helicopters, NYPD officials said, the agency's drones have the ability to get much closer to the crowd.

Security at Times Square tends to be extra-tight on New Year's Eve, but it's now poised to have some robotic support. The NYPD is deploying one of its new camera-toting drones at the event for the first time, giving it an aerial surveillance tool that's decidedly closer to the action than a conventional aircraft or helicopter. The machine will not only watch for trouble in the crowd, but wield "counter-drone technology" to keep potentially hostile vehicles at bay. There hasn't been any credible terrorist threat against the event this year. This is really more of a litmus test for police drone use -- can they be useful for observing such large crowds?

We took the weekend to work on it and it turns out Netflix's Black Mirror special episode (have you found all of the endings yet?) is not named Baldersnatch, Bumbersloot or Blipblops. We'll see if 2019 brings more interactive TV experiences, but our last recap for the year includes Nintendo's throwback gamepads and some info on how AI has improved. A dose of retro action in a pricey, wireless shell.Nintendo's Switch NES gamepads are an unnecessary blast from the past The Switch NES controllers look just like the original, with the same blocky corners, plastic-yet-solid construction and concave buttons that hold your fingers just right. They even charge by sliding onto the console while it's docked, although playing is a wireless-only affair. However, at $60 they're an expensive add-on for controllers that are only meant to play emulated NES titles available via the new Online service.

LONDON – British police said Saturday that two drones found near London's Gatwick Airport were not involved in the disruption that shut down the busy airport just days before Christmas. Sussex Police Chief Giles York told BBC radio that police have searched 26 potential launch sites near the airport but do not believe they have found the drone that was seen near the runway on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20. York said he is "absolutely certain that there was a drone flying throughout the period that the airport was closed." A senior detective said last week it was possible drones hadn't flown over the airport last week, sowing confusion, but police later insisted that the drone sightings were authentic. The airport's closure led to more than 100,000 people being stranded or delayed in the worst ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.

Sussex Police's chief constable has said he feels "really sorry" for the couple who were held for 36 hours over the Gatwick Airport drones chaos. Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, who were released without charge, said they felt "violated" after their home was searched and their identities exposed. Giles York told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "convinced the grounds for arrest were well-founded". Two drones found near the airport have been ruled out of being involved. Mr York defended the decision to hold Mr Gait for an extended period, despite his employer saying he was at work during the drone flights.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City police will use an aerial drone for the first time to monitor the crowds gathered in Times Square on Monday for the New Year's Eve ball-drop celebrations, officials said on Friday, adding there was no known threat to the night's festivities.

Renovations and maintenance to the company's facilities means more work for cleaners, electricians, and welders. More operations mean drone testers need to hire plane and helicopter pilots. Abling said 2019 should see tests from some of the range's original customers, like the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and relatively newer clients like Cubic Corp., a San Diego-based defense and transportation contractor that recently rented a hangar at the Pendleton airport.

The Illinois Department of Transportation wants people who may have found brand new drones under the tree on Christmas morning that their new toy comes with state and federal regulations that have to be followed.

Drones could someday revolutionize e-commerce by cutting delivery times, reducing energy use and lowering costs. For now, they are dividing neighbors in the suburban neighborhood of Bonython, where one of the world's most advanced drone-delivery tests has taken flight. Tech companies are tinkering with drone deliveries all over the world. Wing is a step ahead of some by routinely bringing everyday items to customers in an entire neighborhood. Residents can use a smartphone app to order food, hardware supplies and over-the-counter medications from half a dozen retailers.

Wing, a graduate of Google parent company Alphabet's X R&D lab, aims to develop drones that might one day be used to deliver packages to customers' doorsteps. According to The Wall Street Journal, Wing's parcel-carrying drones, which were deployed in a rural area of southeastern Australia in October 2017 as part of a pilot program, have disrupted the lives of some longtime residents, who say that they don't use their yards as much. And the noise -- which some accounts compared to that of a chainsaw -- tends to spook pups, a local dog club president told the publication. The current-gen Wing drones can fly at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour and take off and land vertically, thanks to a dozen vertical rotors and two propellers. Automated flight-planning software determines their route, while onboard sensors help them to avoid obstacles. Despite the sophisticated onboard tech, though, sounds aren't the only problem Wing's drones have yet to overcome.