about the Simtec hardware random number generator

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+[[!tag tags/debian]]
+[[!tag tags/crypto]]
+As already reported, while at [Debconf9](http://debconf9.debconf.org/) this 
+week, I succumbed to peer pressure, and have generated a new 4096-bit RSA 
+key.  Doing this was made substantially more pleasant (and certainly a bit
+more amusing!) by the fact that I was loaned a prototype of the new Simtec 
+[Entropy Key](http://www.entropykey.co.uk/) to play with.
+
+Can't wait until they're in production and available for sale...
+
+Basically, it's "just" a very high quality hardware random number generator
+that sits on a USB interface.  Associated with this is a small GPL'ed daemon 
+that gets loaded along with some udev configuration (all in a Debian package
+in my case), such that any time you plug it in, your system available entropy
+goes way up and stays up until you unplug it.  It really is that easy!  My
+new 4096-bit GPG key generated without perceptable delay, while the one my 
+daughter made at the same time on her similar notebook required lots of 
+mouse wiggling and I/O traffic generation to accumulate enough bits.  A 
+dramatic difference, to say the least!
+
+Anything that needs lots of random bits for generating things like session
+keys will clearly benefit from a device like this.  Some systems have other
+hardware sources of random numbers, but I was impressed by the attention to
+detail the guys have put into this little widget, and the work they've done
+to make it integrate so well with Debian.
+
+Very cool.