In an age of constant communication, receiving phone calls or messages from unknown numbers has become increasingly common. Whether it’s a missed call from an unfamiliar number, a potential scam or a wrong number, performing a reverse phone number lookup can help you identify the caller. You could start your search with free tools like Google or Whitepages, but if you’re struggling to find the person behind the number, paid services such as Spokeo or BeenVerified might give you more detail. In this guide, I’ll show you how each option works, along with a few tricks to improve your chances of getting accurate results.
Though it sounds like a word jumble, what is commonly referred to as “reverse phone number lookup” is really just a service that allows you to search for information about a phone number. By entering the number into a lookup tool, you can find out details like the name of the caller, their location and sometimes even social media profiles or associated email addresses. This can be particularly useful when dealing with unwanted calls, checking the legitimacy of a business or reconnecting with someone you’ve lost contact with.
For many people, a quick and free method is sufficient to uncover basic information about a phone number. Here’s how you can do it:
The simplest (and often most effective) method is using Google. By typing the phone number into the search bar, you may uncover listings, social media profiles, business registrations or forum posts associated with that number. It’s a quick way to gather information without needing a dedicated service.
Tip: Put the phone number in quotation marks to search for the exact number.
Example search: “+44 123 456 7890” or “123-456-7890”
Several free online directories provide phone number lookup services. These usually gather data from publicly available sources such as government registries and social media platforms. Examples include:
Whitepages: Offers limited access to data for free and can show basic information like location or carrier.
TrueCaller: Known for its extensive community-based database, TrueCaller helps identify unknown numbers based on user reports.
To use these tools, you simply enter the phone number into the search bar. Some sites offer additional premium features, but the basic lookup is free.
Social media platforms can also be an invaluable resource for tracking down information about a phone number. Searching the number on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram might lead to a user profile associated with it. Many people include their contact details in their social media bios, which can help you identify your caller.
While free services are helpful, they might not always provide comprehensive details, especially for mobile numbers or those associated with private listings. For more detailed information, subscription-based services are available, offering more extensive data and enhanced accuracy. The services below are priced at less than $25/month; however, depending on the service and the features it offers, you may expect to pay more or less. Here are a few popular options:
Spokeo offers reverse phone lookup services that can help you uncover detailed information about the caller. It searches social networks, public records and other online databases to provide name, address and even criminal background (if applicable).
How it works: Enter the phone number, and Spokeo will pull up available records. A subscription is required (from $14.95/month) for full access to reports.
Intelius is another service that provides reverse phone lookup services, and it can identify landlines, mobile numbers and even VoIP numbers. You’ll get a detailed report with the person’s name, address and potentially even their email address.
Subscription cost: Pricing starts at around $1.99 per lookup, though packages for multiple searches are available.
BeenVerified is a popular background-check service that provides phone number directories that you can search through, along with other public records searches. It can uncover information such as a person’s criminal background, social media profiles and more.
How it works: Enter the phone number, and BeenVerified will provide a detailed report. Subscription required (from $23.98/month) for full access.
Using a reverse phone number lookup service is generally straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Choose a service: Decide whether you want to use a free or paid service, depending on how detailed you want the information to be.
Enter the phone number: Type the phone number into the search bar, ensuring the correct country code is included (if needed).
Review the results: Depending on the service, you may see information like the name, location, phone carrier or social media profiles associated with the number.
Access additional information (optional): If you’re using a paid service, you might be able to access detailed reports, including criminal records, address history and more.
While reverse phone lookup services can be incredibly helpful, they also have some limitations:
Not all numbers are listed: Reverse phone lookup tools search public databases, which are collections of phone number records that are legally available for anyone to access. These usually include landline or mobile numbers that have been shared. Some numbers, especially those on private networks like a university campus, a large factory or a company’s internal phone system, are kept out of these databases. These private network numbers might only work inside that network and may not be reachable from the outside anyway, so a lookup will often come up empty.
Accuracy issues: The data provided by free services can sometimes be incomplete or inaccurate.
Privacy concerns: Some reverse phone lookup services ask for your own details, like your name, email address, or even payment information, before showing results. They might also log the fact that you searched for a specific number. So if you’re trying to see who called you, remember that you’re also sharing information about yourself. Always check the service’s privacy policy first and make sure you’re okay with how your data will be used.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/how-to-perform-a-reverse-phone-number-lookup-130004364.html?src=rss
Catch up on the latest Linux news: Linux Lite 7.6, IceWM 3.9, QEMU 10.1, Portainer 2.33 LTS, Wine 10.14, COSMIC desktop hits initial setup completion, Bitnami ends free images, and more.
After years of waiting, there’s only three days left until Hollow Knight: Silksong is out in this world. We only got the September 4 release date a few weeks ago and now we have the final piece of the puzzle: price.
Team Cherry, the indie studio behind the Hollow Knight series, has announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Hollow Knight: Silksong will cost $20. That’s a $5 increase from 2017’s original mega hit Hollow Knight game. Which, after almost a decade, isn’t very surprising.
We also have the exact release times for Hollow Knight: Silksong on September 4. The game will be available to purchase at 7AM PT/10AM ET. After being delayed past its original 2023 release date, it doesn’t feel too far away now.
If you’re dying with anticipation for the sequel to finally arrive, may we recommend rewatching the above trailer? It gives away just enough of the game to satiate us until Thursday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-costs-5-more-than-the-original-120005386.html?src=rss
Back in July, the Zwifty social blew up when Mathieu van der Poel donned Zwift-branded headphones for his TdF TT warmup. The headphones basically match the in-game headphones originally available via the Big Spin 2024 prize spinner, and Zwift sleuths soon figured out they were a collab between Zwift and H2O Audio, who are headquartered in San Diego, California, just a bit south of Zwift’s Long Beach headquarters.
Opinion was immediately split: were these the coolest Zwift accessory yet, or a terribly sweaty idea? Was Zwift wasting time making headphones when they should be laying more virtual tarmac?
In my post announcing the headphones, I promised to thoroughly test their “100% sweatproof design”… for science. And that’s exactly what I’ve done for the past ~7 weeks. Here’s my full review.
These headphones are a co-branded version of H2O Audio’s flagship “RIPT ULTRA” headphones. So for anyone concerned that Zwift is diverting much-needed resources into headphone development… well, these are more of a small marketing team project than anything else.
A few key specs:
First, I’m no audiophile. So if you’re expecting that sort of review, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
I am a musician, though. So I care a lot about sound quality, and I notice things others may not. (Then again, I play the banjo, so can I really be trusted with anything?)
After hours of listening, I found these headphones to be on par with others I’ve used in a similar budget range, including Beats Studio3. Sure, they won’t be as pristine as audiophile-level $2000 headphones, but they sound good, with clear articulation and an even frequency response that isn’t too bass-heavy.
Over-the-ear (OTE) headphones typically deliver a rounder, fuller bass response than earbuds because their larger size can support much larger drivers. Noise cancelling is often better too, since the over-the-ear nature of the headphones keeps out more sound than an earbud. Both of these expectations were met with the H2O headphones. I’d describe the active noise cancelling (ANC) of the H2O headphones as not quite as good as the Beats Studio3, but close, and noticeably better than my Apple Airpods Pro. I kept it engaged for most of my Zwift sessions, and it nicely muted the noise of my fan and drivetrain.
A few more sound-tech details, if you’re interested:
Like many of you, I’ve never worn OTE headphones while Zwifting. (The only headphones I owned had nice leather or cloth ear cushions, and I didn’t want to find out what would happen after those got repeatedly sweat-soaked.) But I have spent hundreds of hours wearing earbuds while riding. In recent years it’s been my trusty Apple Airpods Pro, but I’ve spent many Zwifty hours wearing buds from JBL, Sennheiser, and others.
So I was curious how comfortable full OTE headphones would be while riding. Apart from the sound quality differences (discussed above), how would they actually feel? Here’s what I noticed:
I wore these for multiple ~3-hour sessions (Thursday 100km Pizza Burner, anyone?), as well as super sweaty heat training sessions that lasted an hour or more. Here’s what they look like after one such heat training:
In these pics, a bit of sweat is pooled inside the ear cup, but nothing significant. The cool thing about H2O’s design is that these silicone ear cups can be easily removed from the headset, rinsed, and dried. The headphones also include nice black leather cushions, if you’d rather use those for non-sweaty listening.
Wrapping this section up: for me, a bald guy with a sweaty head doing very sweaty Zwift sessions, I found these headphones surprisingly comfortable. (There was one issue I experienced, which may or may not have been sweat-related, which I explain below.)
Apart from their sweatproof/washable nature (which is no small thing), there are a few nice extras on these headphones that are worth mentioning:
There’s just one problem I’ve had with these headphones, though. And it’s not a minor thing.
Three different times, when I was 90 minutes or more into a Zwift session, one or both sides of the headphones began to crackle intermittently. It was very noticeable and loud, but it was also unpredictable and far from constant. I soon discovered that tapping the left ear button to swap to “noise cancelling off” mode made the crackling disappear, while setting them to “noise cancelling on” or “transparency mode” would bring the crackling back.
I reported this to H2O Audio, and they said it wasn’t a known issue. They asked me to send the first pair back for investigation, and sent a replacement set. But that replacement set did the same thing the first time I used it for a long ride.
Trying to figure out the root cause, I wore the headphones while working at my desk (not sweating), but could never get them to crackle. It does seem to happen quite regularly when riding over 90 minutes, though, so my hunch is it has to do with moisture getting into the electronics. The headphones feature a special hydrophobic mesh on the inside (not attached to the removable ear cushion) to prevent water from entering the speaker assembly. However, I wonder if the humid air that builds up over long sessions inside the sealed ear cup is somehow affecting the internals.
Most Zwift sessions are an hour or less, and if the crackling begins, it’s really easy to tap the button on the left ear cup to turn off active noise canceling and thus any crackling. So I don’t consider this a deal breaker, but it certainly seems like something H2O will want to get fixed.
Interested in purchasing the Zwift + H2O Audio headphones? Shop through this link and use the coupon code ZWIFTINSIDER for 20% off! Your purchase helps support this site.
Did you purchase the Zwift x H2O Audio headphones? Any particular features you like, or issues you’ve had? Post your comments below!
Considering a purchase and have further questions? Share those below too, and I’m happy to answer any I can.
PC Gamer reports:
The Diablo team is the next in line to unionize at Blizzard. Over 450 developers across multiple disciplines have voted to form a union under the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and they’re now the fourth major Blizzard team to do so… A wave of unions have formed at Blizzard in the last year, including the World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Story and Franchise Development teams. Elsewhere at Microsoft, Bethesda, ZeniMax Online Studios and ZeniMax QA testers have also unionized…
The CWA says over 3,500 Microsoft workers have now organized to fight for fair compensation, job security, and improved working conditions.
CWA is America’s largest communications and media labor union, and in a statement, local 9510 president Jason Justice called the successful vote “part of a much larger story about turning the tide in an industry that has long overlooked its labor. Entertainment workers across film, television, music, and now video games are standing together to have a seat at the table. The strength of our movement comes from that solidarity.”
And CWA local 6215 president Ron Swaggerty said “Each new organizing effort adds momentum to the nationwide movement for video game worker power.”
“What began as a trickle has turned into an avalanche,” writes the gaming news site Aftermath, calling the latest vote “a direct result of the union neutrality deal Microsoft struck with CWA in 2022 when it was facing regulatory scrutiny over its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard.”
We’ve come a long way since small units at Raven and Blizzard Albany fended off Activision Blizzard’s pre-acquisition attempts at union busting in 2022 and 2023, and not a moment too soon: Microsoft’s penchant for mass layoffs has cut some teams to the bone and left others warily counting down the days until their heads land on the chopping block. This new union, workers hope, will act as a bulwark…
[B]ased on preliminary conversations with prospective members, they can already hazard a few guesses as to what they’ll be arm-wrestling management over at the bargaining table: pay equity, AI, crediting, and remote work.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
A critical vulnerability in Apache ActiveMQ (CVE-2024-32114) has been actively exploited, allowing attackers to access message brokers without authentication. Linux administrators running ActiveMQ services should take immediate steps to secure their systems and prevent potential data exposure or service disruption.
This flaw affects ActiveMQ versions 6.x prior to 6.1.2. On Linux servers, the default configuration of the Jolokia JMX REST API and the Message REST API can expose the broker to unauthenticated access. Attackers can produce or consume messages, delete queues, or manipulate destinations, potentially leading to service interruptions or leakage of sensitive data.
The post Apache ActiveMQ Flaw (CVE-2024-32114) Poses Serious Risk for Linux Servers appeared first on Linux Today.
EWW is a standalone widget system that allows you to implement your own, custom widgets on Linux desktop, and we love it more than Conky.
The post This Is the Best Linux Desktop Customization Tool You’ve Never Tried appeared first on Linux Today.
Mozilla Thunderbird 142 open-source email client introduces visual PDF signatures, easier folder management, and dozens of fixes for mail, calendar, and UI issues.
The post Thunderbird 142 Released with New PDF Signing appeared first on Linux Today.
From cat lasers to AI-powered pacifiers, consumer IoT promises genius but mostly delivers nonsense. Here’s why the so-called “smart” tech trend is spectacularly off the rails.
The post ‘Smart’ Gadgets, Dumb Ideas: Why Consumer IoT Went Off the Rails appeared first on Linux Today.
Firefox 143 looks like a solid release for Android users as it adds support for xHE-AAC audio playback, support for viewing the download progress in real time with controls to pause, resume, retry, or cancel directly from the Downloads screen, and improved support for persistent notifications to properly open Firefox with the relevant web page.
The post Firefox 143 Is Now Available for Public Beta Testing, Here’s What to Expect appeared first on Linux Today.
Black Cats & Chequered Flags celebrates the life of one of Formula 1’s earliest champions using VR and mixed reality.
Directed by Elisabetta Rotolo and Siobhan McDonnell, Black Cats & Chequered Flags is an interactive VR and MR experience focused on Alberto Ascari. Winning both the 1952 and 1953 championships with Ferrari, this tribute to Italy’s most successful F1 driver looks back at his relationship with his father and childhood, his superstitious nature, and his rise to fame.
I went hands-on with this 20-minute project during Venice Immersive 2025, where it has immediately become one of my highlights. As a long-suffering Ferrari fan in Formula 1, having the chance to explore Ascari’s life through an immersive experience required little convincing. After getting into a vintage pit crew uniform, myself and two others took our places across a large room.
This begins with a fun little mixed reality mini-game where you and your co-op partners are tasked with completing a 50s-style pit stop, no ridiculously smooth tire changes needing less than two seconds here. We had to swap out the tires, hammer the new ones in, refuel the car, and give it a quick clean too using hand tracking. Nothing groundbreaking and we didn’t beat the fastest time, but it’s a good icebreaker before the main event.
This soon transitions into the VR side of the story, which isn’t hugely in-depth while still capturing key moments of Ascari’s life. We witness the defining impact his father, Antonio Ascari, had on his life before Antonio’s untimely death in a racing accident. The ever prominent black cat highlights Alberto’s superstitious nature, offering an intriguing insight into his life I wasn’t previously aware of.
That’s all portrayed through immersive environments with sadly limited interactivity, letting you pick up digital photos or a trophy but not much more. The presentation can feel slightly rough at points with jagged shadows, though there’s character to these stylized visuals that makes this easier to forgive.
Sequences often throw in real-life archive footage from these events too for comparison, which is a welcome touch. One segment showcases the horrifying incident at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, where Ascari crashed at the Harbor Chicane, ending up in the harbor with his Lancia car but miraculously surviving. This makes the experience feel almost like a museum.
However, this leaves certain aspects of his racing career unexplored, and that’s rather disappointing. Beyond a brief mention, Black Cats & Chequered Flags doesn’t really touch upon his famous rivalry with Juan Manuel Fangio, the five-time champion whose records remained unsurpassed for decades until Michael Schumacher came along. To see that in action would be fantastic; it’s a missed opportunity.
No one from the team was present during my demo beyond event staff, so I couldn’t ask if a home release is eventually planned. I certainly hope so as despite some rough edges, I enjoyed my time with Black Cats & Chequered Flags. It’s a brief yet compelling window into the legacy of one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers, exploring an era rarely touched upon in modern media.
AerynOS 2025.08 was released today, five months after the release of AerynOS 2025.03, as the latest ISO snapshot of this independent GNU/Linux distribution created by ex-Solus maker Ikey Doherty.
For those using the upstream open-source NVIDIA Linux driver “Nouveau”, with a pending fix coming for Linux 6.17 and existing kernel releases it should be a much more stable and reliable experience…
Over the course of August on Phoronix were 267 original news articles and 17 featured Linux hardware reviews / multi-page benchmark articles. Coming somewhat as a surprise, AMD Linux testing articles and hardware reviews managed to capture all top 10 spots for the most viewed content… Something no single vendor has pulled off in the past 21 years of Phoronix. But with the launch of the Framework Desktop, AMD Krackan Point Linux testing for sub-$500 laptops, Threadripper 9000 series, and other hardware excitement, that feat happened in August…
In addition to working on new OpenCL performance optimizations, Red Hat engineer Karol Herbst just landed another important feature into Rusticl: OpenCL semaphores…
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen6 is one of the best supported Snapdragon X Elite laptops under Linux thus far. Thanks to active developer engagement and cooperation from Lenovo there are firmware files in upstream linux-firmware.git and Lenovo’s generally robust Linux support make it one of the better choices for the Snapdragon X laptops currently out there. In further enhancing the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen6 on Linux, a new EC driver has been posted for supporting this Snapdragon powered laptop…
For those looking at assembling an AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO workstation and interested in having working system sensor monitoring support, the ASUS EC Sensors hardware monitoring (HWMON) driver is in the process of introducing support for the Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE motherboard…
IceWM 3.9 window manager for X Window System introduces Xcursor support, drops libXpm, improves icesh tools, and updates translations.
Here’s what people were reading the most on FOSS Force during the month of August, 2025.
The post FOSS Force’s Top Ten for August appeared first on FOSS Force.