Black Bean

11/08/2026

🎮 YouTube launches Playables in South Africa!

South Africans can now enjoy a growing collection of games directly on YouTube without needing to download or install anything. Whether you're a YouTube Premium subscriber or accessing the Playables page directly, there's a range of casual and popular games ready to play.

Game progress is automatically saved and synced across supported devices, making it easy to pick up where you left off.

Read the full story here: 👉 https://mybroadband.co.za/news/gaming/662033-youtube-launches-games-in-south-africa.html

What do you think about YouTube entering the gaming space? 👇

YouTube has launched Playables in South Africa, which are available to Premium subscribers and free users.

07/08/2026

Lithium vs Farmland: South Africa’s Next Big Debate

South Africa is positioning itself to benefit from rising global demand for lithium, a key ingredient in battery technology. However, new reports reveal that lithium prospecting licences now cover around 73,000 hectares of land, much of it agricultural farmland on the country's southeast coast.

Local farmers and community groups fear the expansion of mining could threaten livelihoods, jobs, and productive agricultural land. At the same time, supporters argue that lithium mining could create new employment opportunities and strengthen South Africa's role in the global green economy.

The question is: How do we balance the need for critical minerals with the need to protect farming communities and food production?

Read more: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/661511-south-africas-lithium-rush-targets-farmland-bigger-than-pretoria.html

05/08/2026

At Black Bean, technology is what we do. People are why we do it. ❤️

Anyone can supply hardware, software, and IT support. What makes us different is the way we care for our clients. We take the time to understand your business, respond when you need us, and build relationships based on trust and reliability.

You're not just another ticket number. You're a valued partner.
Because great IT isn't only about technology. It's about the people behind it.

04/08/2026

💡 Tech Tip Tuesday
🤖 Let AI Handle the Repetitive Work
Use Microsoft Copilot to summarize emails, draft documents, and organize meeting notes.

✅ Save time and focus on higher-value tasks.

03/08/2026

Apple Music has announced a price increase for South African subscribers, effective 27 August 2026.

💰 Individual: R79.99/month (up from R69.99) 💰 Family: R129.99/month (up from R109.99)

This marks Apple Music's second local price adjustment since launching in South Africa in 2015. 🎶

31/07/2026

🚀 Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 raises the bar for foldable smartphones

According to PCMag's review, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 addresses many of the common complaints about foldables. The redesigned wider display is better suited for watching videos, battery life reached nearly 17 hours in testing, and Samsung has significantly reduced the visibility of the screen crease.

✅ Wider, more immersive display
✅ Excellent battery life
✅ Lightweight, premium design
✅ Useful AI-powered features
✅ Long-term software support

While the cameras remain average and there's no telephoto lens, PCMag still considers the Galaxy Z Fold 8 one of the best foldable devices available today.

Read more: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 sets a new standard for book-style foldables by pairing a squatter, video-friendly inner display with excellent battery life, quick performance, and genuinely helpful AI features, making it the foldable to beat.

30/07/2026

💡 Shopping for a new Windows 11 PC? Don't settle for 8GB of RAM.

A recent PCMag review tested Windows 11 on a system limited to 8GB RAM and found that while basic tasks worked initially, multitasking quickly forced the operating system to swap data to storage, resulting in slower performance. More demanding applications like Photoshop suffered even more.

✅ Our recommendation: If you're investing in a new laptop or desktop, make 16GB RAM your starting point to ensure a smoother experience today and better longevity tomorrow.

Read more: https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/seriously-dont-buy-a-windows-11-pc-with-8gb-of-ram

Before you fall for lower starting prices on new Windows 11 laptops, know this: 16GB of RAM is the absolute minimum you should accept.

29/07/2026

🚨 South African tech making global headlines! 🇿🇦

Aura has become the first security and emergency response services provider in the world authorised to embed Google Maps Platform navigation directly into its platform. This groundbreaking partnership is set to improve emergency response through smarter routing, better traffic awareness, and more accurate arrival times. 📍🚓

The company already powers many of South Africa's popular emergency response and panic button services, making this an exciting step forward for local innovation with global impact. 🌍

🔗 Read the full story: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/660193-south-african-tech-company-in-first-of-its-kind-deal-with-google.html

The company behind the software which powers most of South Africa’s popular security and emergency response apps, including Namola and the Gauteng e-Panic button app, announced a world-first deal with Google.

24/07/2026

📞 MTN ranked #1 for voice call quality in Cape Town!

According to MyBroadband Insights' 2026 Mobile Call Quality Report, MTN achieved the highest overall score for voice network performance in Cape Town, outperforming Vodacom, Telkom, Rain and Cell C. MTN also delivered the best average voice quality, while sharing the fastest call setup time with Vodacom.

At Black Bean, we're proud to connect our customers to South Africa's leading networks, ensuring reliable communication when it matters most.

Read more: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/cellular/659261-mtn-beats-vodacom-and-telkom-in-cape-town.html

MTN is the top voice network in Cape Town according to MyBroadband Insights’ 2026 Mobile Call Quality report.

22/07/2026

🔋 Does fast charging really kill your phone battery?

Many people believe ultra-fast charging damages battery health, but the reality is more nuanced. Modern smartphones use advanced charging management, temperature controls, and battery protection systems to reduce wear and keep charging safe. While heat remains a key factor in long-term battery degradation, fast charging itself is not necessarily the battery killer many think it is.

Read the full article: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/is-fast-charging-actually-killing-your-phones-battery-heres-the-truth

Is the device in your pocket just one fast charge away from exploding? Probably not, but there are some potential risks you should know about.