Work is moving me from the US to the UK later this year. So I've begun to evaluate a few "tech" options and mobile options that will help me stay connected back to the U.S. I'd love some advice from people who have done similar things, or who live in the UK:

* Mobile phone plans in the UK seem to be much pricier than in the U.S. Usually run about �25-�50 per month ($50-$100) for not-so-many minutes. I could not find any options with unlimited evening and weekend minutes. Orange had a plan with 300 anytime minutes + free evening and weekend minutes to landlines only. On the upside, there does seem to be a much wider selection of free phones. Any tips here?

* Cable TV from the U.S. will be missed. I thought about exploiting one of my friends and installing a Slingbox on his cable connection. I assume he'll be able to watch TV even while I'm surfing around on his channels? Any other caveats related to the Slingbox worth considering?

* Keeping a U.S. cell phone and U.S. number is attractive for when I return here for vacation. I haven't explored much here, but I assume there would be options through services like SkypeIN and GrandCentral.com to keep a U.S. number and have it forwarded to a UK phone. When I return to the States, I have maintain a pay-as-you-go plan with my cell provider and switch the forwarding to local number. Are there any less pricey options out there?

I'm on vodafone. For �35 a month I get 750 minutes anytime any network (mobile and landline) and 500 texts. For the next 18 months. No rollover on unused minutes or texts.

My plan is up in �50 a month as I also have blackberry plan and "family" so certain numbers call free to one another.

Vodafone paygo will give you unlimited minutes and texts on weekends if you have spent �5 during the week in minutes or texts.

Shop around. All networks keep having drives to rope you in.

I am American myself, but actually about to leave here. Tips on the mobile phone.
- All providers are not equal. Orange and T-Mobile run on 1800Mhz which is not as good reception as the 900Mhz banz. Orange in particular has awful customer service. You want Vodaphone or 02. Dont cut corners on this
- Most calling packages actually dont differentiate between weekend and day calls, so just focus on the "anytime component". Anything else is nice, but is not the main course. On the weekends youll be calling peoples mobiles-its on weekdays that you want to call people at their desk at work.
- Those mobile minute packages you get here are actually unlimited free incoming minutes. All packages have this - that is just how it is done here: calling party pays. To put this in perspective, in my three years living here, I have never exceeded my 200 minute calling package, except when I travelled abroad and got roaming charges. People use text messages more here to - cultural difference. Your package has those included as well usually. 50 per month, you will find is quite sufficient. Again, unlike the US, incoming text messages are free
- In the US, 18 month and 2 yr contracts are common. Here they are a sucker play. You can get any phone you need on a 1 year contact - just shop around.

TV stuff
- just bear in mind that America is the biggest exporter of TV content and not all of it is MASH or Raymond re-runs. Many shows you watch on HBO or whatever are often aired here, just that the different shows can be found piecemal on a variety of the local channels here. It is worth taking the time to explore what is on your cable or sattelite TV lineup here, before feeling that you must resort to watching the channels the shows are wrapped in at home
- You will quickly find that there are lots of interesting local shows that will replace (some of) your old faves from home. One joy of being here, I think
- Also, BitTorrent is surprisingly useful and effecive for any obsure American shows

Have your friend host a Slingbox for you. IMO unless it's a financial hardship you'll be well served to set up a second cablemodem and have your own DVR. You'll need one for timeshifting unless you LIKE staying up until 2 AM to watch a given show. While you can use the same cable modem you WILL need your own cable box/DVR.

You'll find quite a lot on UK Cable that you're used to over here though. In fact, some channels are just about 100% composed of US TV programs.

Buy ANY consumer electronics you can here before you go over. This includes routers, networking equpiment, etc. Most equipment can be set for operation in the UK. Everything just costs so much more there.

Look at a VoIP provider to maintain a US phone while in the UK, such as Sunrocket. You can even bring a US cordless phone and set it up so you'll have caller-ID, etc (just don't plug the US wall wart into the wall without a voltage step-down!)

Thanks for the wise counsel on cell phones. I didn't realize that they do not count incoming minutes as part of your cell phone plan! There also seems to be a difference in how they account for calls to mobile and landlines, unlike here in the U.S.

That's good advice, but won't I run into significant issues with voltage? I would have to buy a transformer for every appliance -- and doesn't that get pricey as well as have heat issues?

For the Slingbox, are you saying that I could not just piggy-back on my friend's DVR? What implications/issues would it cause if I did? I'm not super familiar with how the Slingbox works...

He is quite right - everything is more expensive over here - electronics, music, DVD's etc.

Voltage is rarely a factor most devices are set up to take 100-24V worldwide and all you need is a plug end adapeter. For the rest, got to your local chinatown, Fry's or Radio Shack and get 2-3 large scale voltage step-up/down transformers. Go for the ones with 100-200W of capacity. Plus some US power strips, so you can feed several devices in there. Go for the ones with 100-200W of capacity.

What I did once I got to the UK was to set one up in my study, and one in my living room and one in the kitchen - that took care of all possibilities.But for most devices you are looking at a $2 plug end adapter, that is all you need.

This cracks me up. I hardly use text messaging but still average ~300 messages per month. My girlfriend has a package of 8000 messages and uses most of them. My brother is a text messaging addict and approaches 10,000 messages every month!

Text messaging is much more popular than you apparently think it is.

All the networks have their problems with customer service. And all the networks use 1800Mhz for coverage in cities, too. The major difference between them is the billing packages and the choice of handsets, not technology or service.

Vodafone and O2, unlike T-Mobile and Orange, allow 3rd party "service providers" to arrange billing too, and the service offered can vary incredibly.

There are also virtual operators to consider, the biggest being Virgin Mobile, who often have good deals (but less cutting edge handsets sometimes).

Most people I know back home in the US do not text very much and they tend to be not used to it when I text them. Just the fact. Nobody in Europe reacts that way in my experience.

BTW using 10,000 messages per month is over 300 per day - and if you are awake for16 hours a day, that is 20 per hour or one every three minutes - mesages SENT, not even recieved. It is a wonder you have time to do anything else. Not just phone calls, but work, or even play. Assuming it is true at all.

Also I have no idea about messages received - they are free here, not billed and I dont count them.

I can�t believe it! a page that works!!! it really sends free sms http://www.freebieSMS.co.uk