Android for Expats: TuneIn Radio

TuneIn Radio for Android and iPhone

 

At first glance, this doesn’t seem like something particularly related to being an expat (aka Alien) in Korea. But, TuneIn Radio which is both on the Android Marketplace (for free) and iTunes for the iPhone and iPad ($1.99) has proven infinitely useful and entertaining.

However, consider tonight, while I was walking home from work, I was listening to the morning shows from a Toronto news talk radio station I always had on during university and one from my hometown — in real time. Turns out our drive home time in East Asia is about the same time as the morning drive shows in the Eastern Time Zone.

It’s a bit of a surreal experience to get live radio from Canada in my ears while my eyes see Seoul..

 

Front page of the TuneIn Radio app

Local Seoul Radio on TuneIn Radio

As you can see, if you want to go local and listen to Korean stations or TBS eFM, they also have a “Local Radio” section, which finds stations based on your location. Further scrolling will find every conceivable topic including world news stations like BBC and ABC (Australia), Top 40 radio, and just about everything on the world’s airwaves. At the bottom of the front page is a podcast section, where most popular podcasts are available for streaming.

Essential Korean Android Apps Vol. I: Transportation

If you live in Korea and you are part of the recent Android phone craze (including the red hot Anycall Galaxy S), there’s a few apps which will make your life a bit easier.

지하철 실시간 도착정보 (Subway Arrival Information) – This is so much better than the stock Subway app, as it includes next train arrival information and a list of the train arrival times. Get it at App Brain

Seoul Subway app showing current and future arrival times for Yangpyeong Station (Line 5)

SeoulBus (also on the iPhone): The best app for finding bus arrival information in Seoul / Gyeongi-do. This will find the closest stop and give a list of times of arriving buses. The only thing missing is an easy direction search. For that, you’ll be better off using Google Maps (app or website) to get Subway / Bus route information. Get it at AppBrain

SeoulBus App showing next bus arrival information

Using Google Maps to find a bus route to your destination.