David Schepp BBC News Online's North America business reporter at Comdex 2001

More than any other event in recent history, the terror attacks of 11 September revealed a deep hole in American security procedures at its airports, borders and public buildings.

Panasonic's iris-recognition camera costs about $250

So, it is no surprise that at this year's computer dealer expo (Comdex), being held in Las Vegas, the latest in hi-tech security devices has taken centre stage.

From iris recognition to smart cards, to cameras with X-ray-like vision, the technology industry is poised to profit from the renewed concern over safety.

And with this year's long queues to get into the Comdex, there is little question whether attendees would like to see this gee-whiz technology implemented sooner rather than later.

The 'eyes' have it

Companies who sell security systems are increasingly looking to biometrics, or human recognition, as a means of beefing up security at numerous locations.

A few companies are touting technology that uses the human eye as a unique marker, giving only those who are authorised permission to enter office buildings and access databases and networks.

Yeah, Baby! Pushing security is serious business

The technology, which uses infrared light to capture the unique patterns of the iris, is touted as being more reliable than similar concepts that rely on voice recognition or fingerprints.

At this year's Comdex event, firms such as Panasonic and Korean technology firm LG Electronics unveiled new products utilising the technology, ranging in price from $250 to over $5,000.

LG employed an Austin Powers look-alike to illustrate how iris-recognition software can permit only the real person to open a door.

Despite pleadings of "But I'm Austin Powers" from the impostor, the system refused him entry, in this case to a stage where Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson impersonators awaited the frustrated Mr Powers.

Finding what's hidden

As recent events have shown, metal detectors and security personnel cannot always detect when a passenger is armed with guns, knives or other weapons.

But a technology developed by QinetiQ, a British firm exhibiting at Comdex, has developed a high-tech tool that gives weapons detectors another set of eyes.

The millimetre-wave camera, or MWC, can "see" through layers of soft materials, such as heavy coats or sweaters, exposing solid objects such as guns and knives that may be hidden in the folds of thick clothing.

"We have an eye on using the camera in airports," says Kevin Murphy, a manager at QinetiQ Sensors and Electronics division.

"Passengers would simply walk through an L-shaped screening area," he says. "The whole process would be over in a matter of seconds, and most people [would] be unaware that they have just been scanned for weapons or contraband."

That's a smart card

Another system unveiled by Electronic Data Systems at this year's Comdex would improve security at airports while increasing convenience for flyers.

The system is already in use at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, believed to be one of the most secure in the world, and uses smart cards, credit-card like devices that have embedded in them either a microprocessor and a memory chip, in tandem with a handprint.

As it is used in Israel, the system - demonstrated at the Comdex show - allows registered citizens to validate their identities with a magnetic card and a hand scan, saving flyers about two hours from customs processing.