The Nexus 4 may not do everything some of the others do, but it has one thing going for it -- the Android Jelly Bean experience

There are a lot of choices for folks looking for an Android-powered smart phone. None of us here want it any other way, and we know that a big part of the reason for Android's success is that it's available in hundreds of different ways. To take that even further, once you get an Android phone in your hands, you can do all manner of things to the way it looks and feels to mold it even more to your liking, all without changing the firmware. Custom launchers, keyboards, dialers and more can make any Android phone into something that you control. Some people obsess over this, and their creations are simply amazing.

I just think that most of the people buying a smartphone aren't doing it with the intention of changing everything about the phone, and are generally interested in the way it works right out of the box. When I think of it that way, without things like Nova Launcher and Swiftkey in play, I've come to the conclusion that seven months after its release, the Nexus 4 is still the best way to experience Android Jelly Bean. 

Advanced system of high-altitude balloons delivering 3G-like speeds to rural areas

The latest project to come out of Google may seem like an April Fool's joke at first, but Google is serious when it says it intends to launch an internet delivery service based on high-altitude balloons. Known now as "Project Loon" and coming out of the research arm of the company, Google[x], the initiative is taking off (so to speak) out of the need for better internet access in many parts of the world. As it explains in its official blog post about the project, 2 out of every 3 people in the world still don't have reliable access to the internet, leaving many large swaths of the world in the past.

Rather than try to bring traditional wireline or satellite internet into these areas, which can be quite costly, with Project Loon Google plans to set up a system of free-floating high-altitude balloons to create a network with a wider reach. In its preliminary testing Google says it can create networks that have speeds comparable to today's 3G networks -- an impressive feat considering these balloons are flying twice as high as commercial airplanes.

When (not if) you lose everything on your phone or tablet, you'll be thankful you backed up the important things

We just got another heart-breaking email from a reader who has lost all their pictures and video because the SD card in their Android device went belly-up. We get at least a few of these every week, and it's horrible having to tell folks that there is a very good chance they'll need to use complicated forensic data retrieval tools to have any hope of getting those memories back if they can even get the media to be recognized in a computer again. Not having a good answer is the worst part of our jobs.

Now, this is not the SD card vs. no SD card debate. The same thing can happen with the internal storage on your phone, and while corruption isn't as common, accidentally erasing everything is more frequent -- especially when folks are tinkering with things and wiping and flashing "stuff". Don't go thinking this doesn't apply to you, because it does.

Know everything you would ever want to know about your device hardware with CPU-Z

The folks at CPUID have been around for a while. Folks using Windows computers have been using their software to get information for overclocking their computers, optimizing performance, and getting hardware information to install Linux since 2009. Yesterday, they brought a beta version of their wildly popular CPU-Z tool to Android.

The app is super simple to use, you just open it and read the screen. There no challenge, or high score, or inviting of friends involved, you just get a pretty darn complete set of information about the hardware inside your Android that you can use for debugging, or optimizing, or tweaking just like you would a Windows computer. 

Everything is nice and simple, with different tabs for your SoC, system build information, battery stats and live sensor data. The interface is superb, and follows Google's Android app UI guidelines -- no black bar on your HTC devices to be seen. There's also an easy method to send debugging information to the folks at CPUID if you find any problems, as well as a setting for temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit. Not a lot of fuss is needed to get just about all the data you would ever need about your phone or tablet.

There are plenty of apps out there that will give you this same information, but people are excited about CPU-Z because  of who is behind it, and what else they may have to offer. The folks at CPUID have a few legendary performance and monitoring programs for Windows, and seeing an app like TMonitor or PerfMonitor2 come to Android would get every Android nerd in a tizzy, and your favorite ROM developer would have an amazing set of tools at his or her disposal. 

Of course, there's no promise that any of the other products will make their way to Android, but it's nice to dream. If you want to give CPU-Z a try -- and you should, it's free -- grab it from the Google Play link above. There are a few screenshots after the break showing you just what you'll see.

Another diverse set of picks to give a try this week - see if some are right for you

It's hard to believe we're already half way through June, but that means we have another edition of our weekly app picks for your enjoyment. Every week the Android Central writers take a few moments to show off an app that they're using on their own device regularly, and we group them up to show off each Saturday. They aren't always the newest or flashiest apps out there, but they always serve a purpose for us that other apps just haven't.

Hang around with us after the break and see how this list stacks up against the rest -- you may just come away with a few new apps to try out for yourself.

Bluetooth SIG listing shows new 7-inch Nexus tablet alongside spec details

After dropping by the FCC a couple of days ago, the ASUS K009 -- a new "Nexus"-branded tablet, according to FCC documents -- has appeared in a tiny photo at the Bluetooth SIG. It's rectangular and tablet-shaped, with a front-facing camera... and that's about all you can tell. Squint really hard and you might be able to make out the outline of the screen, which seems to indicate slightly less bezel than on the existing Nexus 7.

But it isn't all tiny, illegible pictures -- the Bluetooth SIG listing also contains an interesting paragraph about the new Nexus 7's internal specs.

In honor of Father's Day this Sunday, all weekend long we're celebrating dads everywhere with a sale in our Shop Android store. That's right... until midnight PT on Monday, you can save 15% on ALL Android cases and accessories. To take advantage of the savings, all you need to do is use coupon code DAD13 at checkout. It's as simple as that. Enjoy the savings, and happy father's day!!

Take me to ShopAndroid

From July 1, 2014, Europeans traveling within the EU will no longer pay expensive roaming rates

Europeans will be able to use voice, texts and data within the EU for the same prices as their domestic service, following a ruling by the European Commission. The commission, which last year imposed significant caps on roaming rates charged to EU customers, will push the legislation through before the May 2014 European elections. The new rules will come into force on July 1, 2014.

Our first look at Dead Trigger 2 at CES was great, and since then the game has come a long way. We met up with the guys from Madfinger Games at E3 for a walkthrough of a new gas station arena level.

Of course the zombie-infested first-person shooter is well-known for its excellent graphics, and they're now including dynamic reflections and shadows in addition the the already great water and lighting effects. Graphics aside, Madfinger emphasized that Dead Trigger 2 plays fundamentally differently than the original. For one, there won't be any premium-only weapons; you'll be able to get everything through a blueprint-based crafting system.

The HTC Media Link HD is way to cool to be sitting here, unused in my desk drawer. See the review for a quick refresher of exactly what this baby can do, but know that if you have a Sense 4+ or Sense 5 phone and a television, you probably want it. So here's your chance.

Drop a comment below. Sometime late tonight, we'll shut the comments down and pick a winner at random. Be sure you have a working email address on file here at AC, 'cause that's how I'll get in touch with you to find out where to send it. When I've finished finding all the cool stuff I need to give away, we'll announce the winners here on the blog. 

Good luck!