You probably have a TRNG right on your desktop. Intel has incorporated a true hardware random number generator (TRNG) in Pentium III and Celeron chips. It's based on the quantum-mechanically random Johnson noise across an undriven resistor. Two resistors are used to eliminate any external effects.
Here's a good explanation from Cryptography Research, Inc.:
ftp://download.intel.com/design/security/rng/CRIwp.pdf
Here's Intel's TRNG page:
http://www.intel.com/design/security/rng/rnghow.ht m
RSA believes in it:
ftp://download.intel.com/design/security/rng/RSA_B SAFE.pdf
Slashdot Mirror
You probably have a TRNG right on your desktop. Intel has incorporated a true hardware random number generator (TRNG) in Pentium III and Celeron chips. It's based on the quantum-mechanically random Johnson noise across an undriven resistor. Two resistors are used to eliminate any external effects. Here's a good explanation from Cryptography Research, Inc.: ftp://download.intel.com/design/security/rng/CRIwp .pdf
Here's Intel's TRNG page:
http://www.intel.com/design/security/rng/rnghow.ht m
RSA believes in it:
ftp://download.intel.com/design/security/rng/RSA_B SAFE.pdf
Actually, random.org uses radio noise. John Walker's hotbits are generated by radioactive decay. http://www.fourmilab.ch/hotbits/