Cartel's CT-1000 brought about lots of laughs here at Engadget HQ, and frankly, we're shocked and amazed (and glad) these guys are still hanging tough two years later. The newest in-car handset system is the predictably titled CT-2000, which includes a Bluetooth-enabled handset that's meant to be permanently installed within your vehicle and wired to your audio system. Once installed, all of your mobile calls can be routed to this -- because, you know, chatting on a corded phone circa 1992 is entirely more safe than chatting on your mobile or using a handsfree solution. The only difference we can spot between the new guy and the aged sibling is the addition of music control, a "slimmer" (albeit wider) design, room for your phone contacts and one-touch speed dialing. There's no mention of a price, but trust us, you're better off in the dark.

[Thanks, Martin]

Oh sure, we've seen hacker after hacker brag about their success in connecting some sort of keyboard to Apple's iPhone, but have any of them bothered to take the time to explain the process behind the magic? Exactly. The man behind AwghBlog, however, is a kinder, gentler soul, and he's found the time to detail in quite specific terms how he connected a legacy PS/2 keyboard (you know, the one you're not using any longer) to Apple's cash-cow of a smartphone. Best of all, the guide actually explains how to build a PS/2 keyboard-to-iPhone converter, so you're not necessarily tied to a certain board. Hit the read link if you're down for a weekend project.

[Via MAKE]

If you're familiar with the emulation scene (and let's be honest, you are reading Engadget), then you know the name ZodTTD -- the brain behind some of the best jailbroken emus for the iPhone, including variations on the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, and most importantly... the TurboGrafx-16. Now the master-hacker has brought his goods to the Pre, cooking up a version of psx4all on the Palm device, with the aforementioned GBA and TG16 ports on the way! Interestingly, he reports that the performance on the Pre is actually better than that of the iPhone 3GS, and of course he's hacked access to the keyboard, allowing for (more) proper control of games. There are still kinks that are being worked out (sound emulation, screen scaling, etc.), but it looks like we can expect big things in the near future. We at Engadget know everyone will rest a bit easier tonight knowing that real gaming on the Pre is at hand. We'll hopefully be getting our hands on a version soon, but for now hit the read link for more info, and check out the full video after the break!

Not that we've never had the pleasure of seeing an NES phone mod before, but there's just something especially elegant about this one. The not-at-all-ancient Samsung a867 Eternity was chosen by one Taylor Merrill to be shoved inside of a now-defunct Nintendo Entertainment System controller. The result, naturally, is what you see above -- er, half of it, anyway. For a look at the whole thing in its entirety, hop on past the break and mash play. Per usual, we take no responsibility for damage dealt to your retro game consoles, existing handsets or pride should you attempt to replicate.

[Thanks, stagueve]

Have a Symbian S60-based handset in your pocket, do you? If you've a fever that can only be cured by more Commodore 64, you're in luck. The FrodoS60 application brings C64 emulation right to your N95, N96 or any other S60 mobile, and the updated version (1.5) even includes accelerometer support. Head past the break for a quick look at how much joy this little app could bring to your life, and hit the read link if you're interested in getting in on it. Which you are, so stop denying it.

[Via digitoday, thanks Antti]

Is the mobile phone really mature enough for brick phones to make a retro comeback? According to the makers of the ironically named Mini MOB, the answer to that is yes. The Mini MOB is definitely designed in the retro brick phone style, but at only 3.5 cm wide, it could probably be considered a scale model. It includes some pretty standard specs -- camera, MP3 player, 128 MB card for the SD slot -- but also happens to have an amazing battery life of 30 days standby, and a full 72 hours of continuous talk time! That's almost enough to get us interested in picking one up, but at £160 ($320+) it ain't an easy decision.

[Via TechDigest]

Yeah, we did a double take upon seeing the above image too, but believe it or not, that car phone is actually a new Bluetooth handsfree system. Developed by Cartel Mobile Solutions, this in-car setup can reportedly be installed into nearly any whip and will connect up with most every BT-enabled handset. From there, it mysteriously warps you back to the 1990s where you can dial on near-Chiclet sized buttons; once the haze clears, it ushers you back to modern day by enabling motorists to chat without holding anything up to their yapper. Users can opt to wire it to their vehicle's sound system or plug in an external speaker, and yes, that display you see does indeed handle Caller ID duties. Unfortunately, no price was readily apparent, but you can can bring that 1979 Buick of yours a few years closer to the 21st century by hitting Cartel up for purchasing details.

[Thanks, Mickel]

The "classic" Samsung SGH-E700 (T-Mobile subscribers will remember it as the SGH-E715) really doesn't bring the fond memories flooding over us the same way, say, a StarTAC might. That's not a knock on the Samsung -- far from it, in fact -- but let's be honest, 2007 might be a bit soon to be drawing design inspiration from a phone originally released in 2003. Anyway, that's not stopping Samsung from following Motorola's footsteps and playing the retro card, rehashing the E700 as the SCH-S480 and SPH-S4850 in Korea. Besides exchanging GSM for CDMA radios, the new models upgrade their cams from VGA to 1.3 megapixels, come in a handful of color combos, and add in your typical 2007 amenities like media playback. Look for it to run 300,000 won (about $323) unsubsidized on your Korean carrier of choice.

Considering that Motorola has been yearning to duplicate the monumental success of the RAZR with, well, anything, we can't quite decide what to make of the firm's desperate / throw back attempt to conjure sales with an all new StarTac. Sure, the Moto mainstay holds a dear place in many of our hearts, and even the short-lived 2004 edition was appreciated for its nostalgic flair, but the 3.2-ounce StarTac III MS900 just seems a bit too vintage to actually enjoy in this millennium. Aside from such glaring omissions as a basic camera and external LCD, it does sport a very pocket-friendly design, simplistic style, MP3 playback, an electronic dictionary, questionable e-book functionality, GPS, and 128MB of built-in memory. Additionally, you'll find a two-inch QVGA display, mobile banking abilities, 160 minutes of talk time (300 hours in standby), and a mysterious "biorhythm" function to boot. As expected, there's no set price or release date for this blast from the past just yet, but with such niceties looming just around the corner, we've serious doubts about folks diving back into yesteryear with their new handsets.

[Via UnwiredView]