Phillipe Starck Zikmu Speakers Belong in the Living Rooms of Those With Inscrutable Accents

On some level, I know that these minimalistic wireless speakers by Phillipe Starck are classy works of art. But when I look at them, all I can think about is Nuni and Nooni Schoener.

Zikmu, a collaboration between speaker company Parrot and noted super designer Phillipe Starck, is a set of 2.5 feet tall speakers that use Bluetooth to communicate with each other. They apparently broadcast sound 360° arround the room thanks to Parrot's NXT technology, which uses an extra-flat mebrane to create small-scale vibrations across the speakers' entire surface.

"We were not aiming to create just another speaker," says Philippe Starck. "Our design focused more on making the air vibrate. There is actually a three-dimensional feel to this vibration, meaning that the air is palpable, almost humanlike in presence, like a fragrance."

See? Isn't that SO something Nuni/Nooni would utter? What does that even mean? Those of you who appreciate the combo of high art and electronics more than I do can find out in Spring 2009 for the suggested retail price of $1,500. [Ecoustics]