Social networking. Yes, social networks existed in 2008. But most people weren't on them. Now they are.

By far the hardest thing about moving abroad is being away from family and friends. Social networks like and keep you in constant contact.

+ in particular is great for people who want to live and work as digital nomads, in part because of , in which 10 people can engage in a free, unlimited video chat. This lets you take part in meetings, give presentations and keep in touch with colleagues, family and friends.

Google+ is also very international, so it's a great way to meet people abroad and get advice about living in foreign countries.

Language translation. In the past few years, a number of instant language translation services, such as (also available as a mobile app), have come online. There are multiple audio apps that let you carry on a conversation with someone who speaks another language: You press a button, say something, press another button and the app repeats what you said in a language you preselected. Then the other person does the same and the app repeats what he said in English. My current favorite is an iOS app called .