So because costs are hypothetically increasing, you prefer to live in a fantasy land where 512-bit keys are actually sane? I am not arguing that there isn't a

So because costs are hypothetically increasing, you prefer to live in a fantasy land where 512-bit keys are actually sane? I am not arguing that there isn't a cost associated with crypto. For almost all uses[1], the price of crypto part of the cost of making something that connects to the internet. If you leave it out, you're creating an attractive nuisance and potential liability for someone. If you use the bad defaults of 512-bit crypto, I suggest that any claim of a product being "secure" or "using SSL" is a lie. > smartcard A smartcard isn't plugging into the internet on its own. Whatever it reads the card can wrap everything in proper crypto. > mobile phone You have far more CPU than you need. [1] The exceptions are limited, such as a device that literally cannot do the crypto (I'm thinking an old 1MHz micro), Note that these devices shouldn't be directly on the internet, either.