The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned security teams that ransomware gangs have now joined ongoing attacks exploiting a critical VMware vCenter vulnerability patched in July.

Broadcom addressed the security flaw (tracked as CVE-2026-59310) on July 29, describing it as a critical directory traversal vulnerability in the vCenter Syslog server that unauthenticated attackers can exploit to execute arbitrary code.

The company also warned customers in a supplemental FAQ at the time to treat fixing CVE-2026-59310 as an emergency and install patches as soon as possible.

Two weeks later, digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) company QUIRSO reported finding over 361 IP addresses across 47 countries compromised after a suspected advanced persistent threat (APT) actor began exploiting the vulnerability to deploy a reverse SSH tool for persistence and remote access.

Days later, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added CVE-2026-59310 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog and ordered government agencies to secure their vCenter systems within three days.

Over the weekend, CISA updated its KEV catalog again to flag the security vulnerability as actively abused by ransomware gangs.

Internet security threat monitor Shadowserver currently tracks over 450 VMware vCenter servers exposed online; however, there is no information on how many have already been patched against this flaw.

VMware targeted by ransomware gangs

While the U.S. cybersecurity agency has yet to share any details about the ransomware attacks targeting CVE-2025-60710, VMware servers are commonly targeted because compromised vCenter or ESXi servers can provide access to an organization’s network and sensitive data stored on internal systems.

In recent years, multiple ransomware gangs have developed dedicated encryptors to target VMware virtual machines, as enterprise organizations now commonly use them to manage and store corporate data.

CISA also warned in February that ransomware groups began exploiting a VMware ESXi sandbox escape vulnerability (CVE-2025-22225), which Chinese-speaking threat actors have targeted in zero-day attacks since at least February 2024.

Since the start of the year, the cybersecurity agency has also flagged VMware Aria Operations (CVE-2026-22719) and VMware vCenter Server (CVE-2024-37079) flaws as exploited in attacks in February and March.

Over the last five years, CISA has tagged 26 VMware vulnerabilities as exploited in the wild, nine of them also abused by ransomware operations.

Join Mikko Hyppönen and security leaders from the NFL, CHANEL, and Atlassian for a two-hour digital summit on what AI-speed attacks change, what defenders should stop doing, and how to validate, decide, fix, and re-validate at machine speed.

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Read this if your phone has slowed down or you’ve been getting weird texts.

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At the recently concluded 2026 CEDIA Expo, Dirac announced that the NAD CI SA2-120 BluOS Streaming Amplifier Module and NAD CI S2 BluOS Streaming Module are now certified to support Dirac Live Room Correction. The addition expands access to advanced room optimization across NAD’s custom installation product lineup.

The NAD CI Modular Series is a flexible, high-performance audio solution engineered to simplify custom installation projects. Its compact modular architecture enables easier system expansion and more efficient installations while maintaining NAD’s well-regarded sound quality.

The timing is significant. CEDIA’s preliminary 2026 U.S. Professional Smart Home Market Analysis estimates the residential integration market at nearly $34 billion, underscoring just how substantial the custom installation business has become. That figure represents an extrapolated estimate of the overall professional channel rather than $34 billion in directly reported or audited sales.

An earlier CEDIA study estimated the U.S. market at approximately $29 billion, although changes in methodology and a much larger 2026 survey sample mean the two figures should not be treated as a precise measure of year-over-year growth. What is clear is that residential integration has become a very large market, creating considerably more opportunity for brands that can provide dealers with complete audio ecosystems rather than individual components.

That puts NAD and parent company Lenbrook in an interesting position. Lenbrook’s North American portfolio gives integrators access not only to NAD amplification and BluOS streaming products, but also to DALI’s extensive range of architectural loudspeakers. The DALI PHANTOM lineup includes in-wall, in-ceiling, on-wall, outdoor, and subwoofer solutions designed specifically for custom installation applications.

The combination allows integrators to build systems around NAD electronics, BluOS multi-room streaming, Dirac Live room correction, and DALI architectural loudspeakers without having to assemble every part of the system from unrelated brands and distribution channels.

Dirac Live Room Correction further optimizes performance for the unique acoustic characteristics of each listening space, helping integrators deliver clearer, more balanced sound throughout the home.

The technology addresses acoustic problems created by the interaction between a sound system and its surrounding environment. Dirac Live corrects both the magnitude and phase of a system’s response, helping reduce uneven frequency response, timing issues, and imprecise imaging. The result can be tighter and more accurate bass, improved clarity, and a more cohesive soundstage.

“Every room shapes sound in ways that even premium audio hardware cannot address on its own,” said Rikard Hellerfelt, VP and Head of Consumer Electronics at Dirac. “By expanding Dirac Live Room Correction to NAD’s CI SA2-120 and CI S2, we’re giving professional integrators a powerful tool to unlock the full performance of distributed audio systems while creating consistently exceptional listening experiences across the home.”

NAD CI SA2-120 Streaming Amplifier Module

Part of the NAD CI Modular Series, the NAD CI SA2-120 combines high-quality amplification and BluOS music streaming in a compact, space-saving design for single- and dual-zone applications. It is engineered for reliable, long-term operation.

Feature Highlights:

• New: Dirac Live Ready for room correction
• BluOS Enabled: Includes multi-room streaming with access to 20+ services and internet radio, with dual independent BluOS Zones
• Bluetooth: aptX HD two-way Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL Connect
• Physical Inputs: HDMI eARC, combo analog/digital input, USB
• Physical Outputs: Subwoofer output, snap-on Phoenix speaker connection blocks
• Network Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet
• DirectDigital Amplification: 2 x 120 W or 4 x 60 W
• Dynamic Power Management: The CI SA2-120 automatically optimizes power distribution
• Control Options: IR input with learning via BluOS (IR extender kit required), programmable 12 V trigger input, drivers for Control4, Crestron, URC, RTI, NICE, Lutron, and KNX, plus remote monitoring via Domotz
• Power: Universal AC power supply
• Cooling: Thermostatic fan cooling with front-to-rear airflow for reliable stacking
• Placement Options: Compact 1/3-width x 1U-height chassis with ChassisLink

For complete details on the NAD CI SA2-120, refer to its Official Product Page

NAD CI S2 Streaming Module

The NAD CI S2 delivers two independent zones of BluOS streaming, giving integrators a flexible, scalable solution for multi-room audio systems.

Feature Highlights:

• New: Dirac Live Ready for room correction
• BluOS Enabled: Supports dual independent BluOS Zones. Provides access to 20+ streaming services, internet radio, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL Connect
• Physical Inputs: TOSLINK, digital coaxial (with Dolby decoding), analog RCA
• Physical Outputs: 2 x stereo RCA, subwoofer output
• Hi-Res Audio: Supports up to 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution playback with no downsampling
• DAC: Audiophile-grade ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC for detailed, low-distortion audio
• Control Options: IR input with learning via BluOS (IR extender kit required), programmable 12 V trigger input, and drivers for Control4, Crestron, URC, RTI, NICE, Lutron, and KNX
• Placement Options: Compact 1/3-width x 1U-height chassis with ChassisLink
• Network and Power Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE or 12 V DC power input (<10 W power consumption)

For complete details on the NAD CI S2, refer to its Official Product Page.

”For custom integrators, every project presents a unique acoustic environment,” said Peter Gibb, Custom Install Product Manager, NAD Electronics. “Bringing Dirac Live Room Correction to the CI SA2-120 and CI S2 pairs the flexibility of our modular CI platform with powerful room optimization, helping integrators achieve exceptional, consistent sound across a wide range of spaces and system configurations.”

CI PA4-60 Power Amplifier Module

The CI series also includes the CI PA4-60, a versatile four-channel power amplifier that expands system design options for larger distributed audio systems.

Feature Highlights:

• Note: Dirac Live is not applicable
• DirectDigital Amplification: 4 x 60 W or 2 x 120 W (continuous into 8 ohms)
• Dynamic Power Management: The CI PA4-60 automatically detects speaker loads and routes power accordingly
• Load-Invariant Design: This feature accommodates long cable runs and difficult speaker loads
• Inputs: Two RCA line inputs with gain control and stereo/mono selection. Global/local input switching provides flexible signal routing. Stereo/mono selection is available for Inputs 1 and 2.
• Outputs: RCA loop output from Input 1 for daisy-chaining, plus two 4-pin snap-on Phoenix speaker connection blocks
• Control Options: 12 V trigger input, 12 V trigger input/output, front-panel switch, and signal sensing
• Power: Universal AC power supply
• Cooling: Thermostatic fan cooling with front-to-rear airflow for reliable stacking
• Placement Options: Compact 1/3-width x 1U-height chassis with ChassisLink

For complete details on the CI PA4-60, refer to its Official Product Page.

Competition 

The CI (Custom Installation) category is becoming more competitive, and adding Dirac Live Compatibility to NAD’s entries helps to make their CI SA2-120 BluOS Streaming Amplifier Module and CI S2 BluOS Streaming Module stand out. However, if you take Dirac Live out of the equation, there is competition in the CI space for both streamers and streaming amplifiers, including: NAIM’s impressive CI-Uniti 102 ($1,499) streaming amplifier down to WiiM’s modestly-priced CI A80 Streaming Amplifier and CI MOD S Streamer ($449 each)

The Bottom Line

Dirac Live has proven to be one of the better room-correction platforms available for improving the sonic performance of a loudspeaker system. It can be deployed in everything from a DIY two-channel setup to a professionally installed system, making it especially useful when speaker placement and room acoustics are less than ideal.

Bringing Dirac Live into NAD’s CI lineup gives installers another level of control, but there are some caveats. First, it is not free; installers or end users must purchase a license to use Dirac Live Room Correction (pricing information is provided in the next section). It should also be noted that Dirac Live Bass Control and Dirac Live Active Room Treatment are not supported by the CI SA2-120 or CI S2 at this time.

That is somewhat interesting because Dirac Live Bass Control is available for several of NAD’s non-CI streaming components, including the M10, M10 V2, M10 V3, M33, M33 V2, C 658, and M66. However, Dirac’s current compatibility listings do not indicate support for Dirac Live Active Room Treatment on any NAD product.

What makes the new CI implementation noteworthy is not simply the presence of Dirac Live. The technology is already widely used in AV receivers, surround processors, integrated amplifiers, and other products aimed at both consumers and professional installers. What remains relatively uncommon is native Dirac Live Room Correction inside compact, rack-friendly streaming modules designed specifically for scalable distributed audio systems.

That gives the NAD CI SA2-120 and CI S2 a potentially meaningful advantage. Competing CI products from Naim and WiiM also provide DSP or room-correction capabilities, but they take different approaches. NAD is offering installers BluOS multi-room streaming, professional control-system integration, and Dirac’s automated measurement and correction platform within the same modular ecosystem.

Dirac has made significant headway in the room-correction market, with support from roughly 30 audio brands and numerous products within those lineups. It competes alongside platforms including Audyssey, Anthem Room Correction, Yamaha YPAO, Pioneer MCACC, Trinnov Optimizer, and proprietary systems from other manufacturers. They all attack the same fundamental problem in different ways: the room has an enormous influence on what ultimately reaches your ears.

Price & Availability

NAD CI Series Components can be purchased through Authorized Dealers at the following prices: 

• NAD CI SA2-120 Streaming Amplifier – $1,899
• NAD CI S2 Streamer – $1,199
• CI PA4-60 Power Amplifier – $1,099

Dirac Live Room Correction Licenses for the NAD CI SA2-120 and NAD CI S2 are priced between $159 and $249.

The NAD Dirac Room Calibration Kit, which includes the equipment needed to perform precise Dirac Live room measurements, is available for $49 through NAD

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BGMI has introduced a new character designed especially for the Indian community. KRAFTON India has introduced Kiaraa, its first character designed from scratch by its internal India team. She will be introduced in BGMI 4.6, slated for October 8, 2026. Kiaraa will have her own story, location on Erangel, and a dedicated collection. She also takes forward the work started with Anamika in 2025.

Kiaraa Brings Her Own Story and World to BGMI

Kiaraa is the first BGMI character whose whole world revolves around her. KRAFTON India’s in-house artists crafted her entire character in India. Kiaraa’s storyline also has strong links to Erangel and its secret history. As per the story of Kiaraa, she manifests herself due to greed, betrayal, and cowardice among Erangel’s warriors.

Kiaraa is not coming to conquer Erangel or rule the land. She has come to judge the warriors fighting there. Her designated place in Erangel is the Bazaar, which also has significance in her story. The Bazaar is where Kiaraa’s Test and boss battle take place. KRAFTON has included Indian aspects in Kiaraa’s story and her character.

Kiaraa Brings a New Bazaar and Boss Battle to Erangel

The introduction of Kiaraa gives way to yet another spot on the map, known as the Bazaar, in Erangel. This makes the Bazaar BGMI’s second Indian-themed spot, after the Stepwell, introduced in 2025. The developers have added an interesting Diwali theme to the Bazaar map. Players can explore the Bazaar while watching out for possible ambushes.

The Bazaar is also the stage where Kiaraa’s Test occurs, and her boss battle takes place. Players need to locate four lamps that are shaped like peacocks and activate the summon points. There are blue signs that help players locate each summon point in the Bazaar. Kiaraa makes an appearance when players activate all the points. She attacks squads with arrows from her bow.

Kiaraa Nakshatra Collection and India’s First BGMI Prize Path

The Kiaraa Nakshatra Spin brings a range of themed items to BGMI:

• Kiaraa Nakshatra Set
• Divine Peacock Glider
• Divine Radiance SCAR-L
• Divine Chariot Buggy
• Arrow Rain Emote
• Divine Edge Machete

Alongside Kiaraa, BGMI will introduce its first Prize Path created specifically for India. The Diwali Prize Path will feature 20 levels of festive progression. It will run from October 22 to November 15. Players can unlock rewards as they progress through the path. These include the Revel 01 Set and Diwali Gold Set.

In the spring of 2020, as a new and highly contagious virus spread throughout the country, the US came to a standstill. The economy shut down, cities emptied, and white-collar workers were sent home en masse. Platforms like Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams surged in usage as WFH became ubiquitous. From remote schooling and virtual weddings to app-based grocery delivery and livestreamed concerts, the pandemic accelerated and cemented society’s increasing reliance on digital platforms. Already one of the most powerful forces in the American economy, the tech sector suddenly became the infrastructure underpinning every aspect of life.

Tech giants went on an unprecedented hiring spree, scrambling to meet new demand and cement their dominance. Where tech workers already had tremendous labor market power in the preceding decade, the postpandemic boom for technology tilted the balance even more sharply in favor of workers. Demand for technical skills exploded, and tech companies scrambled to recruit engineers, designers, and data scientists, often without fully knowing what to do with them.

Between 2019 and 2022, Amazon and Facebook more than doubled their head count, growing by 92 percent and 93 percent, respectively. Microsoft added nearly 80,000 new employees, while Google brought on over 60,000. With so many workers joining the industry, many were onboarded to teams with no immediate tasks, held in reserve for future projects that hadn’t yet been planned—they were, in other words, hired with nothing to do.

Tech’s pandemic-era hiring boom was underwritten by an extraordinary financial backdrop shaped by over a decade of loose monetary policy. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to near zero to stimulate the economy. And for most of the 2010s, rates remained near zero, creating what economists call an era of zero interest rate policy, or ZIRP.

With money easy to borrow and venture funds flush with cheap capital, tech firms expanded aggressively, and office workers reaped the rewards: skyrocketing salaries, unprecedented job mobility, and the leverage to demand more from their employers. The result was a golden age for tech workers. Many could choose which projects to join, pursue skill development on the clock, or even negotiate permanent remote work arrangements. In this environment, tech workers were prized assets, courted and catered to in ways rarely seen in other industries.

Then inflation hit as an unprecedented flood of pandemic-era stimulus cash went into the hands of consumers, and the Fed responded with one of the most aggressive tightening campaigns in decades. Rates were raised from near zero to roughly 5.5 percent, with the bank making 10 consecutive hikes in just 15 months. As intended, the economy turned cold. The S&P 500 fell 19.4 percent, the largest drop since 2008. Sectors across the board felt the slowdown. Real estate activity plummeted as higher mortgage rates discouraged potential homebuyers. Top retail and entertainment firms, from Walt Disney to Nike to Home Depot, were similarly hit as consumer spending drew back.

But more than any other sector, the tech industry, which had soared to unprecedented heights during the pandemic, fell the hardest. Having experienced outsize gains during the easy-money boom years, tech’s rapid ascent was followed by an equally dramatic crash.

Major tech firms began missing Wall Street’s expectations. Amazon reported sluggish growth and razor-thin margins. Google saw four consecutive quarterly declines in profit, hit hard by a slowdown in digital ad spending. Microsoft also faced headwinds, with its cloud business, its key growth driver, showing signs of deceleration. The exuberance that had fueled the postpandemic rally evaporated, and the air came rushing out of the sector’s inflated valuations. Almost $4 trillion in combined market value vanished from Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Facebook lost two-thirds of its value. Amazon lost half. And nearly $1 trillion was shaved off Microsoft’s valuation. At year’s end, the industry fell 30 percent, making 2022 the third-worst year in the industry’s history, after the 2008 financial crisis and the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000.

My ancestors might not have invented motion pictures (we invented the telephone, but that’s a debate for another time), although we did give them our own unique flavor, as is our way. Recent weeks have brought us an assortment of tasty imports from il Bel Paese on Ultra HD and 1080p discs. Let’s dig into this eclectic Italian buffet, served up with operatic flair.

Bay of Blood Limited Edition 4K (Severin Films)

It’s Zillow gone wild as a greedy assortment of relatives, opportunists, and unsuspecting vacationers brutally slay one another in a series of grisly homicides in order to secure ownership of a wealthy heiress’s coastal estate. This 1971 giallo murder mystery holds an interesting place in horror history, deconstructing the genre with its subversion of the usual conventions while also giving rise to the slasher subgenre. Director/co-writer Mario Bava is, in fact, credited as the father of the “body-count” movie, and his penchant for promiscuous young adults wandering into a secluded, wooded retreat only to be picked off one by one—shot frequently through a disorienting, first-person killer’s perspective—is oft-copied, as are some of his specific kills.

To bring those to life, future Oscar winner Carlo Rambaldi designed a baker’s dozen of graphic set pieces, delivered with minimal cutaways. Combine all that with Bava’s high-art visual style on a shoestring budget, a cynical black-comedy tone, and a twist ending, and you’ve got an essential addition to any horror collection.

Severin’s impressive five-disc limited edition includes the English version and both the original and re-released Italian cuts, all in 4K as well as HD. There’s an expert commentary on the English discs and loads of new/archival supplements on both HD Blu-rays, among them cast/crew interviews and featurettes, plus storyboards. Exclusive to this boxed set is the soundtrack CD of the lush, loungey score composed by frequent Bava collaborator Stelvio Cipriani.

Furthermore, this limited edition arrives with an authentic (and fully functional) reproduction of the vintage Carnage* barf bag as distributed in select theaters, scanned from what may be the only original still in existence.

*One of several alternate titles for Bay of Blood dreamed up by the marketing team, along with Twitch of the Death Nerve, Blood Bath, and even Last House on the Left Part II.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Movie

★★★★★★★★★★ Picture

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Extras

Where to buy: $34.99 at Amazon (September 1, 2026)

Italo-Crime Collection 4K (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

The prolific, genre-fluid screenwriting duo of Vincenzo Mannino and Gianfranco Clerici turned their typewriters to several gritty poliziotteschi (“police-style”) thrillers made during the peak era of Eurocrime cinema. The international casts include Italian stars alongside well-known stateside thespians Stuart Whitman, Martin Balsam, John Saxon, Martin Landau, and a deliciously evil Henry Silva.

Lock and load for:

• The Counsellor (Il consigliori, 1973)
• Blazing Magnum (Una ombra nell’ombra, 1976)
• Weapons of Death (Napoli spara!, 1977)

Directed by Alberto De Martino, the first two are pretty blatant ripoffs of Hollywood hits The Godfather and Dirty Harry, respectively. In The Counsellor, a disillusioned consigliori tries to leave the mob, triggering a bloody syndicate war that pulls him back in to save his padrino. Blazing Magnum finds a ruthless Canadian detective (go with it) launching a violent investigation to avenge the death of his sister. Back in Naples, a relentless cop wages war against an unpredictable mob kingpin in Mario Caiano’s Weapons of Death. All are uniquely captivating, displaying that rough cinematic edge that only ’70s crime dramas managed to harness.

These are new 4K scans of the original camera negatives, presented in standard dynamic range, in their original Italian with available English dubs and optional subtitles. Magnum and Weapons share a single disc, and all three movies have a new historian audio commentary track. The third disc is an HD Blu-ray with an entire alternate version of Blazing Magnum (“Shadows in an Empty Room”), plus video essays, featurettes, and archival interviews.

Worth mentioning, the three movies are being released individually by Kino Lorber day-and-date as well, but as HD Blu-rays only.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Movie

★★★★★★★★★★ Picture

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Extras

Where to buy: $49.99 at Amazon (September 22, 2026)

Disco Italiana and The Music Machine Blu-rays (Severin Films)

Back when I did celebrity interviews, I never had as many people asking to tag along as when I met John Travolta, his enduring foundational popularity built largely upon his back-to-back hits Saturday Night Fever and Grease. For further proof of just how big a deal he became, check out Severin’s four-disc Blu-ray/CD discoploitation box, dedicated to the late-’70s subgenre of low-budget films rushed into production to cash in on the global craze that J.T. inspired. Dubbed “Disco Italiana” (not sure why the noun and adjective don’t agree, but this isn’t a lesson in Italian grammar), it collects some peculiarly familiar stories and one familiar mug:

• American Fever (1978)
• Grease Rock (Brillantina Rock, 1979)
• John Travolto: The Face With 2 Left Feet (L’importante è non farsi notare, 1979)

In American Fever, a young mechanic with big dreams gets mixed up in some crazy schemes while moving up the ranks of the local disco scene. Grease Rock follows a conspicuously hair-gelled dude who pursues a wealthy American girl through street-gang rivalries and high-stakes dance-offs. Which brings us to John Travolto: The Face With 2 Left Feet, wherein a shy, clumsy cook takes advantage of his resemblance to a certain movie star to win the heart of a popular DJ. Each includes our choice of English or Italian mono audio.

Pure goofy ’70s fun.

The 12-track John Travolto soundtrack CD is split between the score by Burtt Asch (née Berto Pisano) and songs like “Disco Quando” and “Hot Cha Cha.” All three movies have commentary by well-credentialed authorities, plus a portion of an on-camera interview with Alan Jones, author of Discomania: Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Movie

★★★★★★★★★★ Picture

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Extras

Where to buy: $37.49 at Amazon (July 28, 2026)

The Music Machine Blu-ray (Severin Films)

To be fair, discoploitation was not limited strictly to Italy, and The Music Machine (1979) is the definitive British example, produced at a time when pop cinema was pivoting more into mod revivals or punk rock. Another lovable loser aims to hustle his way into our hearts, this time an aimless North London bloke who teams with an upper-class partner to challenge the reigning dance champ and win a career-making competition. Like the three films noted above, Music Machine charms with its wholly unironic depiction of the dance floor as a sanctuary of total freedom.

Several of the actors, the choreographer, and a songwriter are interviewed, along with a returning Jones, who also takes us on a tour of the movie’s Camden Town locations.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Movie

★★★★★★★★★★ Picture

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Extras

Where to buy: $14.99 at Amazon (July 28, 2026)

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One reason audiophile-leaning reviewers like myself still exist is that we listen closely to ensure new releases are indeed as fabulous as the manufacturers would like you to think. Thankfully, these days, they often are, and sometimes we discover extra surprises.

Consider the new reissue from Craft Recordings of Moodsville Volume 8: The Frank Wess Quartet. Originally released in 1960 via Prestige Records’ then-new Moodsville line, the subsidiary was a clever way to champion respected players outside the maelstrom of rapidly evolving progressive jazz. Moodsville was a far cry from the cheesy lounge-jazz albums flooding the market at the time by relative unknowns (often budget-line releases). Prestige Records’ Ron Eyre described the Moodsville concept as “Jazz performances of ballads wherein the musical integrity of the artist is maintained and at the same time the original beauty and feeling of the ballad is not lost.”

While this music may not stir your musical moneymaker like Ornette, Miles, or Mingus might have at the time, it had a place serving up super enjoyable, swinging, melodic chill sounds for reflective moments. Moodsville released nearly 40 LPs, including albums by Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins, Yusef Lateef, and Kenny Burrell, most recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder.

Official press materials confirm: “Each album will be released on vinyl in partnership with audiophile leader Acoustic Sounds, a partner Craft has previously collaborated with on its acclaimed Bluesville Records and Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series. Delivering the highest-quality listening experience, the LPs feature all-analog mastering (AAA) from the original tapes by GRAMMY-nominated engineer Matthew Lutthans (The Mastering Lab) and are pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Records Pressing (QRP). Faithfully reproduced tip-on jackets round out every release.”

Original vinyl copies of Moodsville Volume 8: The Frank Wess Quartet are not easy to find in good shape. My so-so copy is the only one I’ve found to date (until now!). A lush treat, this reissue’s surprise is that it is in stereo. Nowhere on the cover, hype sticker, or in the press materials do the producers indicate that this is a stereo mix, so that’s a sweet bonus. Overall, it sounds markedly less compressed, more natural, and more alive than my mono original.

The mix places Bobby Donaldson’s drums off to one side and Wess on the other, glued together by bassist Eddie Jones and Tommy Flanagan’s piano in the center. This approach probably had something to do with how the mono mix sounds. Van Gelder’s recording process (confirmed for me years ago when researching some Blue Note reissue reviews) changed once stereo LPs became a commercial reality in 1958.

He switched over to stereo recording and pretty much never looked back, his subsequent mono mixes effectively folded down from two-channel. Nonetheless, his wizardry still made great, punchy-sounding mono releases. I suspect his recording design here could fold down neatly into mono.

Moodsville Volume 8: The Frank Wess Quartet delivers exactly what the label intended: fine moods equally enjoyable for attentive listening or background spins. What’s not to like?

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Music

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Packaging

Where to Buy

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc.  You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.

A virtual phone number is a normal dialable telephone number whose destination can be controlled through software or a communications service instead of being permanently tied to one physical phone or fixed line. When someone calls it, the provider routes the call according to configured rules, which may send it to an app, desk phone, another telephone number, voicemail or another supported workflow.

What Is a Virtual Phone Number?

A virtual phone number separates the number people dial from the physical device that ultimately handles the communication. Twilio’s technical glossary describes a virtual phone number as a standard telephone number that is not locked to a specific phone and can route calls or messages to supported destinations or workflows.

That distinction is the key to understanding the term. The telephone number still acts as an address that other people can dial. Behind it, however, routing rules determine what should happen when a call reaches the service responsible for that number.

For example, imagine a small company with one customer-service number. During office hours, calls might ring a softphone, meaning a software-based phone application, used by two employees. After hours, the same number could send calls to voicemail or forward them to an on-call phone. Customers continue dialing the same number even though its destination changes.

Public telephone numbers also exist within national and international numbering systems. The International Telecommunication Union’s current E.164 international public telecommunication numbering plan, approved on February 13, 2026 and currently in force, defines the international numbering framework. A virtual-number service adds configurable routing and communications services behind such a number rather than creating an entirely separate kind of address that callers need to understand.

How Does a Virtual Phone Number Work?

The simplest mental model is to separate the process into three things: the number the caller dials, the provider responsible for processing that number, and the endpoint or workflow selected by the provider’s routing rules.

1. Someone Dials the Public Number

To the caller, the process can look ordinary. They dial a telephone number from a mobile phone, landline or another compatible calling service. They do not need a special app merely because the destination uses cloud telephony or virtual routing.

The telephone network then routes the call toward the carrier or communications platform responsible for handling that number. Exactly how this occurs varies across carriers, countries and service architectures, so it is more accurate to describe a general routing model than to assume every virtual-number provider uses identical infrastructure.

2. The Responsible Service Receives the Call

Once the call reaches the service hosting or processing the number, the platform identifies the configuration associated with it. A useful real-world example comes from Twilio’s inbound call processing documentation: when a call reaches one of its numbers, Twilio looks up routing information for that number and processes the call according to its configuration.

Twilio is one implementation rather than a universal blueprint, but it illustrates the central principle. The number is associated with routing information, and that information determines what the communications platform does next.

3. Routing Rules Decide What Happens

Depending on the service and configuration, an incoming call might:

• ring one user or extension;
• ring several employees or devices;
• enter a call queue;
• play an automated menu or interactive voice response prompt;
• forward to another telephone number;
• reach a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) endpoint;
• trigger an application-controlled workflow; or
• go to voicemail when nobody answers.

These are examples rather than guaranteed features. The precise options depend on the provider, number type, country and service plan.

4. The Call Reaches the Selected Endpoint

An endpoint is simply the place where the communication is ultimately handled. It might be a mobile or desktop app, an Internet Protocol (IP) desk phone, a SIP device, another conventional telephone number or a voicemail system.

This makes location and device less rigid than they are with a telephone service permanently associated with one line. A support worker can potentially answer the same business number on a laptop at home, an IP phone in an office or another configured device without asking callers to learn a different public number.

5. Outbound Calls Use the Service in the Other Direction

Many virtual-number services also support outbound calling. A user starts a call through the provider’s app, phone system or another supported endpoint. The provider connects that call toward the recipient and, where permitted and correctly configured, presents an authorized telephone number as the calling number.

The important point is that the number itself and the device used to handle the call do not have to be the same thing. The provider sits between them and applies the account’s calling and routing configuration.

Is a Virtual Number the Same as VoIP?

No. A virtual phone number and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are closely related concepts, but they describe different parts of a communications system.

A virtual phone number is the address people dial and the routing relationship attached to it. VoIP is a technology for carrying voice communications using Internet Protocol networks. Many cloud phone services combine the two, which is why the terms are often used as though they were interchangeable.

A useful analogy is a street address and a delivery vehicle. The address identifies where something should be delivered. The vehicle is one way of transporting it. Similarly, a telephone number identifies a communications destination, while VoIP can provide part of the technology used to transport and process a call.

This distinction matters when diagnosing problems. A number may still exist even when an app is offline, while a VoIP call can suffer from network conditions such as latency or packet loss even though the number itself is configured correctly. Voice quality problems involving packet transport, codecs and network delay are therefore questions about how VoIP works rather than properties of the virtual number itself.

Virtual Number vs. SIM, eSIM and Call Forwarding

Several technologies can produce similar results from a user’s perspective, but they operate at different layers. The table below focuses on what each concept represents rather than on individual provider features.

The GSMA explains that a conventional SIM provides a secure means of authenticating devices to mobile networks, while eSIM technology allows SIM information to be securely downloaded into an embedded secure element. An eSIM therefore changes how a mobile subscription can be provisioned into a compatible device. It is not another name for cloud telephone-number routing.

The technologies can also coexist. Someone could have a virtual business number that rings a smartphone whose cellular subscription is delivered through an eSIM. The virtual number and eSIM are doing different jobs in that arrangement. The practical differences become especially important when comparing a virtual phone number vs. eSIM for travel, business calling or maintaining a second contact number.

What Types of Virtual Phone Numbers Exist?

Virtual-number providers can offer several number categories, although the available types and permitted capabilities depend on the country and provider. Twilio, for example, documents offerings that include local, national, mobile and toll-free numbers across supported markets.

Common categories include:

• Local or geographic numbers: numbers associated with a particular city, area or numbering region.
• National or non-geographic numbers: numbers intended for broader national use rather than one specific local area, where the country’s numbering plan provides them.
• Mobile numbers: numbers assigned from mobile ranges in markets where the provider offers them.
• Toll-free numbers: numbers for which the called organization generally bears the relevant call charge rather than the caller, subject to the applicable country’s system.
• Vanity numbers: memorable numbers selected partly for branding or recognizability. The memorable format does not imply a different routing technology by itself.

Do not assume that a number supporting voice will automatically support Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), short codes or every other communications feature. Number capabilities can differ by number type, carrier, provider and jurisdiction.

What Are Virtual Phone Numbers Used For?

The main attraction of a virtual number is flexibility in what happens after somebody contacts it. That creates several practical uses without requiring the public-facing number to change.

One Number for a Distributed Team

A company can publish one support or sales number while allowing staff in different locations to answer calls through supported applications or devices. Routing rules can send a call to an available employee, a queue or voicemail instead of depending on one desk phone.

Separating Public and Personal Numbers

A freelancer, small-business owner or employee may want customers to use a business number rather than publishing a personal cellular number. The business number can then route to a device the person already uses.

Local Contact Points

Where regulations and provider availability permit it, an organization may use numbers from different geographic markets while handling calls through a centralized communications system. A local-looking number does not by itself prove that the person answering is physically located in that area.

Call Tracking and Department Routing

Different numbers can be associated with departments, locations or campaigns while still feeding into the same communications platform. Twilio documents call tracking and direct inward dialing as uses of virtual phone numbers.

Number Masking

Some platforms place an intermediary number between two participants so they can communicate without directly exposing each other’s personal telephone numbers. For example, a marketplace could provide a proxy number that lets a buyer and seller communicate without exchanging their personal numbers.

That creates separation between the participants’ public contact details, but it does not guarantee anonymity from the communications provider. The provider may maintain account, routing or other records under its policies and applicable law.

Limitations and Risks You Should Understand

Virtual numbers are flexible, but the phrase describes a broad category rather than a guarantee of specific capabilities. Several limitations deserve attention before you depend on one for an important use.

Internet and Service Availability Can Affect Calls

If your destination is a VoIP app, browser or IP phone, receiving calls can depend on Internet connectivity, electrical power, device configuration and the availability of the communications service. A number may be correctly provisioned while its chosen endpoint is temporarily unreachable.

Forwarding to a conventional telephone number can create a different dependency chain, so it is inaccurate to say that every virtual-number call requires the final user to have an Internet connection.

SMS Support Does Not Guarantee Verification-Code Support

A number may technically receive SMS while still being rejected by a bank, social network or another service for account verification. Acceptance can depend on the receiving platform’s policies, number classification, carrier relationships and the messaging route involved.

That means “supports SMS” and “works with every one-time password service” are not equivalent claims. The reasons some VoIP numbers cannot receive verification codes can involve restrictions outside the virtual-number provider’s direct control.

Caller ID Does Not Prove Who Is Calling

A virtual phone number should not automatically be treated as suspicious, but the telephone number displayed on a screen is not reliable proof of identity. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers can make fake names or numbers appear on caller ID, a practice known as spoofing.

Spoofing and virtual numbering are different concepts. A legitimate business can use a valid virtual number, while a scammer can falsify caller ID without legitimately controlling the displayed number.

Emergency Calling Requires Special Attention

Never assume that the presence of an ordinary-looking telephone number means emergency calling works exactly like it does on a traditional fixed or mobile line.

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission has required providers of interconnected VoIP service to provide Enhanced 911 (E911) capabilities as a standard feature. FCC material also explains that interconnected VoIP providers use registered-location information to route 911 calls and provide emergency centers with the caller’s callback number and location information.

Those rules do not mean every product marketed as a virtual number has identical emergency-calling functionality. Before relying on a service for emergency calls, verify the provider’s current emergency-calling support, registered-location requirements and limitations for the country and service you will use.

Phone Number Rules Differ by Country

Number availability is not simply a commercial decision made by an app provider. Countries regulate their numbering resources, and requirements can vary by number type and user category. Twilio’s current regulatory documentation explains that phone-number compliance can require end-user identity and supporting documents according to the applicable country, number type and regulatory requirements.

A provider offering a local number in one country may therefore require identity, address or business documentation that it does not request for another country’s number. Some number types may also be unavailable to users who cannot satisfy applicable eligibility or documentation requirements.

Control and Portability Matter

If a telephone number becomes important to customers, clients or account recovery, consider what happens if you later change providers. Ask whether the number can be ported, what information is needed to authorize a transfer and what happens after cancellation.

In the United States, FCC materials document local number portability between several wireline and wireless service arrangements while also noting that geographic and technical limits can apply. The FCC’s number-portability review explains both the value of retaining a telephone number and existing portability limitations. Rules and technical eligibility differ internationally, so do not assume that every virtual number in every country can be transferred to another provider.

What Should You Check Before Getting a Virtual Number?

Start with what you actually need the number to do. A service that is appropriate for occasional inbound calls may not meet the requirements of a support team, a regulated business or someone who depends heavily on messaging.

• Voice capability: Check whether you need inbound calls, outbound calls or both.
• Messaging: Verify SMS and MMS separately instead of assuming every number supports both.
• Number type and location: Confirm that the required country, area code or number category is actually available to you.
• Endpoints: Check whether you can answer through mobile apps, desktop apps, browsers, SIP phones, forwarded numbers or the specific devices you use.
• Routing: Determine whether you need queues, simultaneous ringing, schedules, extensions, menus or voicemail.
• Portability: Find out whether the specific number can be transferred if you leave the provider and whether geographic or regulatory limits apply.
• Emergency calling: Verify the service’s emergency-call support and any registered-location requirements.
• Verification codes: If receiving one-time codes is important, confirm acceptance for the particular services you use rather than relying only on an “SMS capable” label.
• Compliance: Check identity, address, business-registration or local-presence requirements before obtaining an international or geographic number.
• Security: Review account protections such as multifactor authentication, administrator permissions and recovery procedures because control of an important business telephone number can be operationally sensitive.
• Costs: Compare the recurring number charge with inbound, outbound, forwarding, messaging, international and usage-based charges that apply to your expected traffic.

Before publishing the number widely, test the complete communications path yourself. Place inbound and outbound calls using the devices and networks you expect to use, confirm voicemail or fallback routing, and verify that caller ID and routing behavior match your intended configuration.

The Short Version

A virtual phone number separates the telephone number people dial from one permanently attached physical destination. Calls still travel through telecommunications networks to the service responsible for the number, but that service can use configurable routing to decide which supported device, telephone number or workflow handles the communication.

That flexibility is why virtual numbers are useful for distributed teams, business-personal separation, call routing and masked communications. It does not make every service identical. Voice and messaging capability, verification-code acceptance, emergency calling, portability and regulatory requirements can all vary by provider, number type and country, so those details should be checked before the number becomes operationally important.

Five alleged leaders of the Black Axe cybercrime syndicate, known for its involvement in global-scale cyber-enabled financial fraud, have been extradited to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Prosecutors accuse Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede, Osariemen Clement, Collins Otughwor, and Musa Mudashiru of coordinating an internet fraud campaign from Cape Town from 2011 to 2021 that involved advance fee schemes and romance scams.

The five accomplices allegedly used multiple aliases, social media and online dating websites, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone numbers to talk to victims in the United States and trick them into sending money after making them believe they were in a romantic relationship.

When their targets refused to send them money, they coerced them into making the payments using various manipulation tactics, including threats of publishing sensitive photos of the victim online.

“Black Axe is a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization that also happens to dabble in romance scams to make money,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy said.

“The ability of FBI Newark and our partner agencies to reach into South Africa illustrates our resolve to hold accountable any and every type of fraudster who preys on innocent victims here in the United States.”

The defendants were arrested in South Africa in 2021 at the United States’ request and extradited to the United States on September 11, 2026.

If found guilty, they face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charges, a maximum of 20 years for money laundering, and two more years for aggravated identity theft charges.

Last month, law enforcement agencies from 22 countries arrested 58 individuals and identified 263 suspects linked to cybercrime networks coordinated by African crime groups as part of “Operation Jackal IV,” an international joint action focused on disrupting the Black Axe criminal ring.

Spanish authorities also arrested 34 cyber fraud suspects believed to be part of a criminal network connected to the Black Axe group.

Founded in 1977 in Nigeria, Black Axe is one of the world’s most dangerous and far-reaching cybercrime syndicates, believed to have an extensive network of money mules and facilitators, as well as 30,000 registered members.

In January 2024, the United States sentenced Black Axe member Olugbenga Lawal to ten years in prison for laundering millions stolen by Black Axe operators from elderly Americans in internet fraud schemes.

Join Mikko Hyppönen and security leaders from the NFL, CHANEL, and Atlassian for a two-hour digital summit on what AI-speed attacks change, what defenders should stop doing, and how to validate, decide, fix, and re-validate at machine speed.

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