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How to make a 'flat white' — the Australian coffee drink that has Americans all confused


This map shows the most affordable small town in every state

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Business Insider recently published a list highlighting the most affordable small town in every state

To create this list, we looked at towns with populations between 1,000 and 10,000 whose households spend no more than 30% of their annual income on housing costs, as defined by the Census BureauFor more details on the ranking, check out our methodology post here.

This map shows where each town is located within every state:

new affordable small towns map

 

NOW SEE THE FULL LIST: The most affordable small town in every state

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Ben & Jerry's might start selling weed-infused ice cream

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Ben & Jerry's

Someday, Ben & Jerry's could come in a new flavor: cannabis. 

Founds Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield told HuffPost Live host Alyona Minkovski that they were open to making marijuana-infused ice cream.

"Combine your pleasures," Cohen told Minkovski in a recent interview. 

Marijuana is legal for medicinal and recreational use in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Many other states have approved the herb for medical purposes. 

Ben & Jerry's is known for being socially progressive. 

The brand has long supported marriage equality and offers good benefits to workers. 

The company has also phased out GMOs in its ingredients. 

As more states legalize marijuana, other big consumer companies are looking to capitalize on the trend.

Skinnygirl alcohol founder Bethenny Frankel is reportedly working on weed that won't give you the munchies.

The Real Housewife of New York plans on launching "her own line of 'Skinnygirl marijuana' in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, where recreational cannabis is legal," Us Weekly reports.

SEE ALSO: The worst things you can order at 15 fast food chains

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The best screen protectors for your Apple iPhones and iPads [up to 51% off]

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cracked iPhone

Cracked phone screens are the worst.

But good news: we've found some great screen protectors to keep all your Apple products looking as good as new.

These "Tech Armor" screen protectors are made of precise laser-cut tempered glass. They'll help keep your phone and tablet from getting scratched up after high impact drops.

And good news: the screen protector won't cause any bubbles to form over your screen.

For the smartphones: iPhone 6 Plus, $10.95; iPhone 6, $9.95; iPhone 5/5C/5S, $9.95; iPhone 4/4S $9.95

For Apple iPad 4, 3, and 2: $29.99

For Apple iPad Air 2 and 1: $69.95$33.96

For Apple iPad mini 3, 2 and 1: $54.99$17.47

ipad iphone mini air


 

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A photographer set out to meet 100 Russians at every age, and the results are incredible

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1 to 100 years 102

When Keen Heick-Abildhauge moved to Russia six years ago, his friends back in Denmark bombarded him with questions about his new home. Are there bears running wild in the streets? Is it freezing? Is everyone drunk?

He decided that he needed to create something that answered these questions. "I am not a good writer, but I can take pictures," he told Business Insider. So he photographed the people: "Not Putin, not vodka, just the people I saw every day, living their lives."

To do this, he attempted to meet and photograph Russian people ages 1 to 100. He found people through friends as well as on the street, introducing himself and learning more about their lives. He said he found Russians to be "humble, kind, and extremely generous."

Heick-Abildhauge hopes that viewers of his series will realize the similarities between themselves and the Russians. "We are the same," he says. "We dream, we love, and survive."

Alexander, age 1. Passion or Dream: Cars are our passion (mother’s words).



Arseniy, age 2. Profession: Goes to kindergarten. Passion or Dream: "Cars."



Anna, age 3. Profession: Goes to kindergarten. Passion or Dream: "I like walking, dancing, drawing, studying the alphabet, and playing with balls."

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






The best eats in San Francisco, according to Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman

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Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp

San Francisco has a diverse and exciting dining culture.

When choosing a new restaurant to try out, you might turn to Yelp for a recommendation. And perhaps no one knows the art of writing a restaurant review better than Yelp's cofounder and CEO, Jeremy Stoppelman. 

We've highlighted all of the San Francisco restaurants Stoppelman has given five-star reviews since 2012. Consider it a dining guide from the CEO himself.

L'ardoise Bistro

151 Noe Street

"Ever since this delightful French bistro opened I've been smitten. It's so approachable, looking like just another neighborhood joint that totally underpromises and then overdelivers," Stoppelman writes in his five-star review. 

The lamb chops are a highlight, as is the newly returned foie gras. 



Quince

470 Pacific Avenue

At Quince, chef Michael Tusk creates innovative French-Italian dishes with ingredients from local California farms.

"Quince will continue to be one of my go to spots for special occasions or whenever I need an outstanding dining experience," Stoppelman said. He hosted his birthday party there two years in a row.



Samiramis Imports

2990 Mission Street

This specialty grocer has some amazing pita, olive oil, and spices.

"If you're a fan of middle eastern cuisine, it's worth a pop in," Stoppelman said in his review.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Top chef explains how to make the perfect prime rib

This Silicon Valley coffee shop just raised $15 million in venture capital and is planning to take over the US

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philz coffee, phil jaber

Philz Coffee is just about the official beverage of Silicon Valley. Founder Phil Jaber tells Business Insider that his 30 unique blends fuel employees of Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn through long coding sessions into the night.

The San Francisco-based coffee chain just raised $15 million in venture capital from Summit Partners and angel investors, including Yahoo's chairman, Maynard Webb, Facebook's chief technology officer, Mike Schroepfer, former Apple exec Ron Johnson, and rapper and investor Snoop Dogg, according to TechCrunch.

The company has 18 shops in the Bay Area and one outpost in Los Angeles. It plans to expand in 2015, possibly to New York, DC, Detroit, Austin, Denver, and San Diego, although Jaber's still scouting locations. "I'm like a German shepherd — I like to sniff a place out," he says.

We checked out Philz' original location on 24th Street in San Francisco's Mission District to see what we could expect.

San Francisco-based chain Philz Coffee is the darling of the tech industry.



Founder Phil Jaber tells Business Insider that Google, Twitter, Apple, and LinkedIn employees buy the beans wholesale for their offices. Facebook has a standalone location at its Menlo Park campus.



The company plans to expand nationwide, thanks to a $15 million Series B round led by Summit Partners, which has invested in Uber, Belkin, and Arista. It's not every day you hear about a coffee chain getting venture-capital money from a firm that usually backs tech.

Source: TechCrunch



See the rest of the story at Business Insider







If you're moving to San Francisco, this housing flyer will make you want to cry

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San Francisco rent has risen dramatically over the last few years. According to real-estate marketplace Zumper, San Francisco is officially the most expensive rental market in the country, with the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment standing at a jaw-dropping $3,460 a month.

A Business Insider reader asking to remain anonymous sent us a photo they snapped of a rental flyer in Lower Pacific Heights. It includes a list of apartments available for rent in various parts of San Francisco.

And it isn't pretty.

sf rent flyer

By way of comparison, in fall 2010 you could rent a 3-bedroom unit in a safe but boring neighborhood like the Sunset for a little more than $3,000. Now, that will get you a studio in the same neighborhood.

Many have attributed the astronomical rise in rental prices to the influx of high-salaried tech workers to the city. But a lack of housing and strict rent-control laws that keep landlords from raising rents on long-time tenants to market rates are also factors.

Regardless of the cause, paying nearly $5,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in the Inner Sunset seems pretty insane.

SEE ALSO: Here's how much San Francisco home prices have exploded in the last decade

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Here are the 16 best luggage and backpack deals this week [up to 69% off]

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Southwest airlines airplane luggage bags

It's hard to find great luggage at an affordable price.

The cheap stuff breaks after one trip. And the expensive stuff — well, it's expensive.

But we found some deals on quality luggage pieces this week, offering up to 69% off.

Whether you're someone who travels often for work, or are just looking for a good piece of luggage — check out these sales below.


Luggage sets

luggage travel suitcases sale

If you have a family or often travel for longer periods, we recommend getting a luggage set. The suitcases will be easy to keep track of since they're all the same color. (And if you have kids, you definitely know how hard it is to keep track of things.)

If you want something lightweight and durable...
Rockland (3 piece set) $479.99$148.99 [69% off]
Rockland (2 piece set) $330.00$115.89[65% off]

If you want something extremely scratch resistant...
Samsonite (3 piece set) $940.00$469.97[50% off]

If you want something with 360 degree spinner wheels...
Samsonite (2 piece set) $229.99$153.27[33% off]


Hard-side luggage

luggage travel suitcases sale

The benefit of hard-side luggage (as opposed to luggage made of fabric) is that it'll get less beat up mid-flight. Additionally, hardside luggage will help keep your expensive and fragile items safer.

If you want something that expands for added packing capacity...
Samsonite, $380.00$189.99[50% off]

If you want something with multi-direction rolling...
Delsey
, $400.00$173.36[57% off]

If you want a hardside option that's lightweight (for international flights with a weight limit)...
Skyway
, $179.98$80.99 [55% off]

If you want something mini-sized for those 1-2 day trips...
Victrinox
, $585.00$349.99[40% off]


Carry-on luggage

luggage travel suitcases sale

If you're traveling for work, it can be such a pain to check your luggage. Instead, get yourself a bag that fits the carry-on measurement requirement so that you can zip right out of the airport when you land.

If you want something that comes with a laptop sleeve...
Delsey, $360.00$144.70[60% off]

If you want something with lots of storage pockets...
Samsonite, $200.00$85.43[57% off]

If you want something that's lightweight...
Travelpro, $260.00$102.99[60% off]

If you want something with a sleek, professional look...
Samsonite, $460.00$229.99 [50% off]


Backpacks

travel luggage backpack suitcase sale

Backpacks are having a bit of a style comeback. So if you're in the market for a small, hands-free luggage option, we recommend any of these.

If you want a backpack with dedicated compartments for the MacBook, iPad and iPhone...
Incase, $149.95$126.11[16% off]

If you want a backpack with some extra built in security features...
Pacsafe (sophisticated option), $135.00 $128.45 [5% off] 
Pacsafe (fun option), $140.00 $124.65 [11% off]

If you want just some basic, trendy looking backpack...
Herschel, $54.99$44.21[20% off]


 

SEE ALSO: This fitness storage belt is a runner's dream

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SEE ALSO: Turn your iPad into a floating screen with the HoverBar

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This guy has been secretly photographing marriage proposals in New York

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proposal photographer

New York City-based photographer Vlad Leto has an interesting job. The Russian native makes his living sneaking around parks, hiding in bushes, and secretly photographing people's most intimate moments. And they love him for it.

Leto is an "engagement photographer," as he calls it. He is hired by future husbands or wives to photograph, from a distance, their marriage proposal. The photographs he takes capture the surprise and delight of the couples in their special moment for years to come.

Since he began, Leto has photographed couples all over New York City and the surrounding area, from parks and bridge to boats and hotels. "I can do it with my eyes closed," he recently told The New York Times.

Leto shared a few of his favorite shots with us.

Leto came to the US in 2010 and worked odd jobs before following his passion for photography and becoming a wedding photographer. Four years ago, he was approached by a man wanting Leto to photograph him when he proposed to his girlfriend on Governors Island.



Since then the idea — and the business — have taken off. Most people find Leto via his ad on Craigslist for "Secret Proposal Photography." Leto says he charges $250 to $400, depending on how complicated the proposal or location is.



Leto has to be discreet so as not to be seen by the couple before the proposal. This involves sneaking around and hiding and waiting for the moment. When people around him see him skulking, they assume he's a member of the paparazzi and spying on a celebrity, Leto says.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Professor moves out of 6x6-foot dumpster, the world's smallest home, after a year

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dumpster jeff wilson 2

Jeff Wilson spent the last year living in a dumpster.

It's not what it sounds like: Wilson — who goes by the alter-ego "Professor Dumpster" — is an environmental science professor and dean at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas who worked with his students and a team of experts to transform that dumpster into a sustainable home that cost under $10,000.

We first came across the project in The Atlantic, and now The Washington Post reports that Wilson's residency in the dumpster has come to an end.

The project's director of operations Karen Magid says that the dumpster's development is far from over, and that they're currently accepting applications from educators to spend a night in the dumpster as a catalyst for teaching their students about the environment and sustainability.

Wilson is now transitioning back to a noisy life full of the usual bills in a normal-sized house with his girlfriend, but plans to begin a new project soon: 99 Nights ATX, where he will spend 99 nights sleeping on couches in 99 different households in Austin.

Here, Team Dumpster shared photos of the 6x6-foot trash receptacle that served as Wilson's home for the last year.

The Dumpster Project was originally intended to be completed in three phases, starting when Wilson took occupancy in February 2014: camping in a bare-bones dumpster (shown here); living in a dumpster "home," with additions such as storage and a bed; and then fine-tuning the dumpster into the ultimate sustainable home, which will continue now that Wilson has vacated.



Earlier in stage two, the project's current stage, a fake floor was installed to store Wilson's belongings and limited wardrobe. This dumpster will probably be preserved mid-stage two, and the team will turn their attention to another prototype.



The dumpster has been hooked up to electricity, although the team is looking at bringing in solar power. As far as water, "the bathroom will always be a sticking point," Magid says.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






A statistician figured out the perfect amount to put on a subway card so you'll never have left over change

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new york city nyc brooklyn subway train

Every time you swipe your MTA card in New York City, you know you're getting ripped off.

Inevitably, if you choose one of the MTA's payment prompts (a $9.00 MetroCard with a $.45 bonus, a $19.00 card with a $.95 bonus, or a $39.00 card with a $1.95 bonus) you'll end up with a card that has leftover change. That's because none of those cards are divisible by $2.50, the flat amount for every subway ride.  

Most people will never be able to use that change, because they can never figure out the perfect fare. So all that money gets collected by the MTA.

Until now.

Statistician Ben Wellington wrote a mathematical proof to figure out how to defeat the turnstiles. His advice: Ignore all the machine's prompts to get a card with a bonus. Instead, type in a custom amount: $19.05. That will get you a perfect eight rides, without a cent to spare.

Here's his math for all amounts under $40, taking into account the 5% bonus the MTA offers per bulk-paid card:

exact change mta card

Unfortunately, the MTA is about to hike up subway fares again. On March 22, the amount per ride will change from $2.50 per ride to $2.75. An 11% bonus will be tacked on.

So what will the new magic number be?

Wellington re-did his math and came out with a new amount to memorize: $22.30.

Here's his logic:

"The MTA might leave things as is, with $9, $19 and $39 preset buttons," Wellington writes on his Tumblr, I Quant NY. "If they go that route, it’s time to start memorizing a new set of numbers again New York!  And the magic number seems to be $22.30.  Just use the “Other Amounts” button, type in $22.30 and you get $24.75 on your card…  exactly nine trips."

Here's his updated chart, below.

subway mta card perfect amount chart

Note: you can't get a perfect eight trips in like before. But you can get a perfect nine or eleven trips. Wellington also notes that the MTA might make the issue go away altogether and update the card and bonus amounts on its prompts. When he figured out the magic $19.05 last fall, the MTA responded, "We will certainly look at this as part of the process involved in rolling out the next scheduled fare increase slated for next year."

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NOW WATCH: How to make your commute less miserable








These are the big shots who live at 15 Central Park West, the world's most powerful address

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We've said it before and we'll say it again: 15 Central Park West is the most powerful apartment building in the world. The Manhattan condo is filled with bankers, hedge funders, business tycoons, and foreign billionaires. Goldman Sachs has a major presence in the building, as do some huge hedge funds.

As is increasingly common in New York City's luxury towers, many of the owners at 15 Central Park West have shielded their identities by using LLCs and trusts to buy their apartments. We worked with Michael Gross, author of 15 Central Park West chronicle "House of Outrageous Fortune," to unmask the identities of most of the building's residents.

The graphic below offers the most possible complete view of the origins of wealth inside the thick limestone walls of the world's most powerful building.

15 Central Park West Apartment Resident Graphic

The paperback version of "House of Outrageous Fortune" will be released on March 10. Preorder a copy here.

Hayley Hudson contributed to this post.

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Inside a gorgeous $23 million Santa Monica mansion with a custom-designed movie theater

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$23 million santa monica california house of the dayA beautifully renovated mansion in Santa Monica, California has hit the market for $23 million.

Originally designed by architect-to-the-stars Peter Choate, the nearly 10,000-square-foot home has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two living rooms, and a wine room that can fit over 800 bottles. 

“I fell in love with this house and what it could be the moment I saw it,” Sandra Brass, the owner who had the mansion renovated and is now selling it, told Douglas Elliman. “I felt that, with a thoughtful eye to the right balance of reinvention and restart, this property had the potential to be truly remarkable.”

Outside, the contemporary home has a large salt water pool and spa, fire pit, and lots of open space. It’s also right next to the Riviera Golf Course so it has gorgeous views of its rolling greens.

Tracy Tutor Maltas of Douglas Elliman has the listing.

Welcome to the $23 million Santa Monica mansion in California.



The luxury home was originally built by famous architect Peter Choate and recently renovated.



The home has an open floor plan and two huge living room areas.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider







12 things you should tell your kids about their family budget

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parents with new baby

This post is a first look at the new book Guerrilla Parenting: How to Raise An Entrepreneur, available on March 12.

So much is gained by your children seeing your struggle and your effort to organize the home finances. These are real things, real issues that kids need to experience and understand how ever they possibly can.

By doing this they can become more sensitive to how money is spent, what things cost, and that money does not grow on trees.

Yes, I know many parents tell their kids that money doesn't grow on trees, but how many really explain it with a little more detail consistently throughout a year. I'm not saying you need to tell your 5-year-old that they may not have a home to live in or a bed to sleep in if things go wrong. I am just saying that you should share some of the real finances.

You don't need to know exactly what you are worth or how much you have saved, but you should share roughly what you make and what budgets you have.

These discussions prepare them for what it takes to make a living and provide for themselves.

guerrilla parentingThese conversations may be very generalized when kids are younger, but by the time they are 8 to 10, things should get more specific. By the time they are teenagers they should have a pretty clear understanding of what it takes to pay for your style of living as well as what it would take for you to have a higher or lower cost of living.

Things to share with your kids through various ages are…

1. How much you pay for where you live.
2. How much you pay for transportation, including insurance and gas if applicable.
3. How much food costs in your home.
4. What utilities run.
5. How much you spend in general on vacations, holidays, and birthdays.
6. How much you save and why.
7. How much you make gross and net.
8. How much you might pay in taxes and why (good luck on that one).
9. How much the family spends on fun and entertainment.
10. How much the family spends on clothes and gear.
11. How much the family spends playing sports, music, and other extra-curricular activities.
12. How much you invest and why.

Many successful people become ego maniacs, but don't let this confuse you. Very few of them started out this way. Unfortunately ongoing success can make people believe that they are better than and greater than other people. Ego can make people forget what got them there in the first place.

Some parents actually compliment their kids so much they walk around saying "Aren't I so pretty?" and "I'm so smart." We must be careful to love and lead in the right way.

SEE ALSO: Here's the budget of a 27-year-old who owns 2 houses

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Science has figured out the simple reason why Indian food tastes so good

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indian food

Data researchers have analyzed 2,500 recipes of Indian food and are finally figuring out why you can never get enough chicken tikka masala. 

It's all about using spices without overlapping their flavors.

Researchers Anupam Jaina, Rakhi N Kb, and Ganesh Bagler from the Indian Institute for Technology in Jodhpur, India, searched through the recipes in the largest Indian cuisine recipe database, TarlaDalal.com, to figure out why Indian food tasted so good.

It turns out the common denominator is a typical Indian dish's use of spices and flavors. It's not just how much spice is used, but how intelligently it is incorporated into the dish. Spices used in Indian dishes are much more carefully selected to produce the least amount of "flavor overlap."

“[The] more the extent of flavor-sharing between any two ingredients, [the] lesser their co-occurrence," the researchers said.

Munchies notes that this is one of the main reasons Indian and Western cuisine taste so different. Western cuisine's philosophy of putting together similar flavors in dishes is completely reversed in Indian cuisine, instead opting for the most variety of ingredients with as little overlapping flavor as possible.

So what makes the flavors meld so well in your mouth is by delicate design. Every spice and ingredient has a purpose, and they all work together in harmony to produce the taste of the dish.

"Each of the spices is uniquely placed in its recipe to shape the flavor-sharing pattern with [the] rest of the ingredients," the study says.

It's these specific roles each spice plays that gives Indian cuisine its characteristic taste.

The study covered eight major regional variations of Indian cuisine — and the finding is true for all of them.

SEE ALSO: The best wine to pair with every kind of takeout food

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The 16 greatest books about how to be a man

An escort agency bought a billboard on the main road into Mobile World Congress

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Escort agency ad MWC

An escort agency in Barcelona bought up one of the highly sought-after billboards on the main road from the center of the city into the Mobile World Congress venue.

And it appeared right next to one of Samsung's outdoor ads.

Escorts and prostitutes flock upon Barcelona's hotels and bars as the huge mobile trade show takes place each year as they look to take home top-price rates from wealthy business people.

That's not all, according to two Facebook users commenting on the billboard photo posted by MWC-goer Helen Keegan, the Apricots escort agency website also used the official GSMA Mobile World Congress logo on its website, with a banner-type ad stating "We are ready."

Apricots MWC

The GSMA, which organizes MWC, has now "taken action" on the unauthorized use of its logo and branding on the website, according to Facebook user Maria Shiao Di Francesco. She said she had been emailed by GSMA director general Anne Bouverot, who Di Francesco says is "determined not to let MWC become a CES under her watch." CES is the electronics trade show that takes place in Las Vegas each year. It became a hotspot for commercial sex several years ago when a porn trade show was held at the same time. The two shows' schedules have since been changed to avoid that. 

However, while the GSMA may have forced the removal of its logo from the Apricots website, it is clear the agency is still very much targeting the last remaining MWC delegates. A blog post still appears on its website advising users to "be careful with taxis during the Mobile World Congress of Barcelona." It goes on to advise that taxi drivers with passengers asking to go to a brothel will often drive to a different one, which charges higher rates.

Apricots escort agency

A GSMA spokeswoman told Business Insider: "We absolutely do not condone prostitution or the exploitation of women at our event. We are constantly monitoring and addressing issues as we are made aware of them. In this particular case, the company was using the Mobile World Congress logo on their website. This has now been removed. Billboards that do not specifically reference Mobile World Congress or our brand are beyond our direct control, but we are working with the city of Barcelona to address these issues in the future. We are committed as an organisation to making our event a positive environment for all attendees and will continue to focus resources to ensure this."

On Wednesday there was a small protest outside the main Fira Gran Via Mobile World Congress venue. Protesters bore signs which read: "Real men don't buy girls."

MWC protest

This is not the first year MWC has been plunged into controversy around the sex trade. In 2012 the GSMA kicked out and banned Russian telecoms company CBOSS from the show. The company had been handing out leaflets offering visitors "champagne, caviar and a beautiful girl" if they attended business briefings. 

Prostitution in Spain is not illegal, but nor is it regulated by authorities. However, Barcelona recently introduced fines for prostitutes working and clients picking up sex workers on the street.

SEE ALSO: More coverage of Mobile World Congress 2015

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Everything a modern gentleman should know about buying a suit

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