Dome Watch

A weekly series that brings you the news that Peter Mandelson wants kept from you: what's underneath the dome

The latest addition to the bric-a-brac stall at Mandelson's millennium fayre will make your pupils dilate: it is so high-tech. Iris recognition, as it is known, has nothing to do with remembering what your great aunt looks like and is, in fact, straight from the world of James Bond. Developed at Cambridge University, the system can tell whether someone is who they say they are from the unique patina of their eye.

A mathematical code developed by Dr John Daugman allows a simple black and white video camera to verify your identity at the cashpoint.