Google's futuristic Ara phone to be sold in Puerto Rico

Upgrading your smartphone hardware may soon be a snap. I'm Bridget Carey. And this is your CNET Update. [MUSIC] Google has released some details about its phone that lets you swap hardware parts. Google RS' Smart phone is a new concept. Instead of buying a new phone every two years, you could just upgrade individual pieces like a screen or camera or processor by snapping parts in and out like Legos. The goal is to have 20 to 30 interchangeable parts that you can choose from. Google will start a pilot for the RS Phone in Puerto Rico. And use that research data for a global launch. Google has a few other products taking shape. With a new app, students can phone in their homework, [NOISE] so to speak. Google Classroom has a new mobile app to help teachers and students track school assignments. Right now there are more than 40 million students, teachers and staff using Google Apps for Education. The Classroom mobile app is part of this, and it lets students attach files to assignments or use the camera on the phone or tablet to attach photos for an assignment. So if you forget to bring in your homework, maybe someone at home can take a photo of it for you and turn it in with the app. It's available for android and iOS. Google also officially announced it's update to the Google Translate app. That's rolling out over the next few days for iOS and android. It can instantly translate audio and text into your native language. So if you're having a conversation with someone in person that you can't understand, just hold the phone between you both and will translate each person back and forth with less lag time. Skype also recently rolled out a new instant translation for voice chat. So we're getting close to enter that world of Star Trek with universal translator. Facebook's also innovating, although it's arguable if you can really call this innovation. There's a new app called Facebook At Work. You can create a work Facebook account that's separate from your personal Facebook account. The things you share with a work account can only be seen by other people at your company, and that means your company has to sign up for Facebook At Work. It also takes away the fun of complaining about your coworkers on Facebook while at work. But Facebook is doing this to compete with other workplace collaboration messaging tools like Microsoft's Yammer, Socialcast, and Convo. But Facebook doesn't have a way to share documents with your coworkers, at least not yet. And speaking of new things that aren't really new things, Nintendo [NOISE] is releasing its extra large 3DS to the U.S.on February 13th for $200. But it doesn't come with an AC power adapter, so that's doesn't make much sense. It does work with older chargers if you have one. Aside form the larger screens, the 3DS XL has improved space-tracking 3D, a faster processor, a second analog mini stick. Two extra shoulder buttons and built in NFC to work with those amoeba game figurines. That's your jack news update. There's always more at www.cnet.com. From our studio in New York, I'm Bridget Carey. [MUSIC]