Counterclockwise: weird phone accessories

The Ericsson T68 is famous for having a camera add-on – one of the earliest examples of a mobile phone that can shoot photos. But modern smartphones have so many features that there are no gaps in their capabilities. Still, add-on companies have to sell something and the results are... well, we’ll let you be the judge.

Do you yearn for the ergonomics of old-school handsets? Just plug in one of these and you’ll be transported to the good old days of using payphones or waiting until you got back home to make a call. There are Bluetooth versions too, for those of you who want to look retro but are betrayed by the lack of a 3.5mm jack on their phones.

While we didn’t find a way to play vinyl records on your phone, you could experience the joys of analog audio with this handy accessory. It lets you listen to your old cassette tapes and even convert them to MP3, so those songs that you recorded from the radio when you were 14 can follow you into the 21st century.

Perhaps you’re a pirate – no, not someone who downloads MP3s illegally, we’re talking the “sailing the high seas with a parrot on your shoulder” type pirate here. Well, sailing will be a breeze if you have an anemometer plugged into your phone. How else can you tell if the wind is strong? Stand outside?

You could spice up your YouTube videos with the SoloCam – it’s a selfie stick that ends with an old school microphone, so you look like you’re being interviewed for the six o’clock news. Alternatively, you can start a karaoke channel, that’s sure to be a hit!

Pet Trees can provide a step up in interactivity with your pet, assuming you were previously the proud owner of a pet rock. Unfortunately, modern phones no longer have lanyard eyelets, so your pet tree might have to stay at home. Also, that's seemingly not a tree, but we're not botanists, so don't take our word for it.

We’ll finish up with a personal favorite – Will.i.am’s i.am+ foto.sosho line of accessories for the iPhone 4, 4s and 5. They feature a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, supported interchangeable lenses and had a gaudy retro look that’s hard to top.

What’s your favorite weird phone accessory?