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loud3r

Content aggregator Loud3r launches network of sites

Loud3r, a start-up content aggregator that we saw present at the Under the Radar conference earlier this month, officially launched its network of content sites Tuesday morning. The launch includes 25 focused sites, all of which share the "3r" branding. In addition to more mainstream-sounding New3r (which covers gadgets and tech) and Glitt3r (fashion), the company's portfolio includes sites focused on enthusiast niches, such as sneakers (Sneak3r), skateboarding (Grind3r), and martial arts (Fight3r).

The sites use a combination of human input and an automated semantic engine in an attempt to suss out not only the most relevant … Read more

Social media's uphill advertising climb

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Reality check: half of the social media start-ups at Tuesday's Under the Radar Conference won't exist next year.

That was the dour prediction of an advertising executive after a day of start-up presentations from a tongue-twisting list of tech companies--including Verismo, Mytopia, Loud3R, Jacked, Sometrics and PutPlace.

Not that the start-up pitches were boring or hard to swallow. It's just that similar to the dot-com heyday (and eventual bust), the success of many social media companies is tied to online advertising spending. And guess what, after nearly 10 years of hand-wringing over Internet advertising … Read more

Hunting for a new Web publishing giant

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--News aggregation, licensing rights, and user-generated content. Every publisher has grappled with one or all of these issues as they've built online operations in the age of social media.

They're also potentially ripe markets for innovation. Or at least that's the hope of four Web publishing start-ups that presented business models here Tuesday at the Under the Radar Conference, a one-day confab on social media.

Four companies--AudioMicro, GumGum, Keibi, and Loud3r--delivered a six-minute elevator pitch to an audience of executives and three judges. Judges included Charlene Li, vice president at Forrester Research; Rob Hayes, … Read more