Topping tech headlines on Tuesday, Motorola unveiled Project Ara, an open hardware platform for creating highly modular smartphones.

Ideally, Project Ara – which has been in the works for more than a year – will “drive a more thoughtful, expressive, and open relationship between users, developers, and their phones,” Motorola said. The team will be partnering with Phonebloks(Opens in a new window), which uses detachable blocks to create “a phone worth keeping.”

In other news, Google unveiled a number of updates to Google+ Hangouts and Photos intended to “take a lot of work out of messaging, video calling and photo editing.” Android users will now find location sharing and text messaging support, while those who use Hangouts to broadcast shows via On Air can schedule a show and set up a dedicated watch page. Google also made a number of photo tweaks and included new additions to the Auto Awesome tool.

Google also announced that Glass Explorers will soon be able to swap their current model for a refreshed version.

Meanwhile, Amazon launched an expanded MatchBook program, which offers consumers the option to buy the discounted Kindle edition of print books they already purchased online.

Be sure to check out PCMag Live from Tuesday in the video, as well as a few other stories making headlines in the links below.

• Huge Angry Birds Theme Park Opening in Gran Canaria: After launching three Angry Birds Activity Parks in its home country of Finland, Rovio is expanding the concept to the tropical Grand Canary Islands.
• Report: Google’s Smartwatch Nearing Mass Production: Google has remained tight-lipped about plans to launch a branded smartwatch, but a new report tips its possible arrival by early 2014.
• ‘The Zuckerberg Files’ Catalogues Facebook Founder’s Public Life: Nearly 50 videos and more than 100 transcripts are listed in the Mark Zuckerberg Database.
• Steve Jobs’s Childhood Home Now a Historic Landmark: Steve Jobs’s childhood home in Los Altos, Calif., this week earned designation as a historic property.
• Galaxy S4, Note 3 Help Samsung Blow Away Smartphone Rivals: The smartphone market shows no signs of slowing, according to IDC, which reported 38.8 percent annual growth worldwide in the third quarter.
• Facebook Revamps Messenger for Android App: Facebook announced a revamped standalone Messenger app for Android, for “a faster and more reliable mobile-to-mobile messaging experience.”
• William Lowe, IBM PC Architect, Dead at 72: William Lowe, who oversaw the creation of IBM’s first personal computer, passed away Oct. 19 at age 72.
• GTA 5 Sales Near 29M, Android App Released: In its first month, GTA 5 sold almost 29 million units, helping Take-Two generate $1.27 billion in revenue for the fiscal quarter.