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Re:USB Random Number Generator by ape4 on Monday September 30, 2013 @09:14AM (#6469388)
Just use a lava lamp.
Re:USB Random Number Generator by stephengillie on Monday September 30, 2013 @11:59AM (#6470277)
How about this:

1. a die (D6, D20, etc) enclosed in a clear dome with a base that will pop and cause it to fly into the air and land. The base would ideally be made to pop electronically, maybe by a servo

2. a camera directly overhead the die which feeds into a computing device

3. OCR software that receives the camera input and outputs the number on the die

Re:USB Random Number Generator by DanBC on Monday September 30, 2013 @12:57PM (#6470686)
That would be very slow source of random numbers.

I wonder how well it would last over time? Assuming a normal (not precision casino) die, bought off the shelf from a high street store - would you be able to see any pattern in 1 million rolls? Would deformation of the popping base affect randomness at all?

How about a webcam sampling "snow" from an untuned TV?

Re:USB Random Number Generator by oakwhiz on Monday September 30, 2013 @12:47PM (#6470637)
While Boggle sounds like an interesting method of generating random numbers, I think that a better way would just be to whiten the "random pulse train" output from a Geiger counter next to a weakly radioactive sample and send the resulting numbers over a serial link.
Re:USB Random Number Generator by simias on Monday September 30, 2013 @09:52AM (#6469595)
Or a microphone sampling ambient noise.
Re:USB Random Number Generator by gonzo on Monday September 30, 2013 @10:22AM (#6469750)
Or a CMOS sensor in an otherwise perfectly dark environment.

http://www.lavarnd.org/news/lavadiff.html

Re:USB Random Number Generator by GotAnyMegadeth on Monday September 30, 2013 @10:06AM (#6469661)
As long as the physical location of your microphone is secure...
Re:USB Random Number Generator by ape4 on Monday September 30, 2013 @12:01PM (#6470290)
How about a camera looking at the sky/weather. That's pretty random. (The attacker would have to float a blimp over your office ;))