Look inside Google's toy shop

Google hasn't had a lot of success designing smartphones of its own. Now, it's hoping you'll be able to do it better. The company's "Project Ara" is an initiative to develop a modular smartphone that can be customized by swapping out individual pieces, such as the battery and camera. The first version of the phone won't be available until next year, but Google previewed the device at a developer event last month.

The phone will come in three sizes, ranging from mini to "phablet," and it will run on a future version of the Android mobile operating system. A frame called the Endo will hold the interchangeable components together with magnets. Because the Ara project is open-source, the fun will be adding third-party modules or even printing your own with a 3-D printer.