2 small updates on my doings...

1st
PickIt 2 debugger/inline programmer and logic analyzer for the 8 bits family of the PICs. 
Also a PIC16F887 chip for me to play with and learn some assembler language/programming.
Cant get lower level programming than that, can it ?!?

PS: A week later "had" to decide for the PIC16F886 as well, so i can have more choices while learning. I am actually finding it quite intuitive, thanks to a tutorial of an expert on PIC's,  A. Sérgio Sena whom's website you can find here http://www.antoniosergiosena.com/ . 
To note the fact he is a certified PIC instructor/teacher( is that  what i should call him ?!? lol).
I had recently looked into several tutorials on Assembler language for PIC's, and had realised that it wasnt as scary as i first thought, few years back, and even the way PIC's work is far from scary as well. This of course was first based on my first impression back then, when i compared it and AVR's to Arduino language for example, which is so dumbed down and so easy to catch up.
While you can get a led blinking , and even other basic projects adapted by you in a few dozen minutes with Arduino, with PIC took me a few good hours just to be able to upload a test project ( and even then considering i already have enough experience with other platforms like AVR and have some good knowledge of the basic in programming and what a compiler is. To be honest PickIt 2 makes it so easy, along with MpLab IDE).

2nd

Never was into robots and RC cars as a kid, but now that im a grown up and can build them my own way, it seems quite interesting !!! 

Anyway, its not for me, just building and developing the code for it ( despite i did buy another one for me as well eh eh eh )
U can see the ultrasonic sensors, so it SEES the obstacles and can avoid them... Will be also adding remote control soon !!
One lucky kid who will be having it !!

 If you think this is fun, you should see the really expensive collectible one i been working on for a week and half !!

http://www.ermicro.com/blog/?p=2370