D&M Holdings Inc. will be selling the intellectual property and technical staff of Rio to Sigmatel. Sigmatel is the manufacturer of a variety of technology products including flash memory and processors. To some, this sounds like a step backwards, back into the deep, dark pit of flash-based MP3 players. However, right now it seems Sigmatel is more interested in using their processors in the Rios and leaving the sexy Rio style and sexy Rio hard drives intact. Listen: If anyone can beat Apple, Rio can. I'm not just being facetious. They've done a lot of good, pioneering work. They were the first settlers in the of the MP3 fronteir and they deserve their time to really shine in this world full of white ear buds. Yeah, that was deep. I know. Will it happen? Prolly not. But it's nice to wax poetical.
Rio to Sigmatel [dapreview]