questions on a cube

Hello,

I would like to build an RGB LED cube, but I am completely lost. I am a beginner but I love to jump into things and learn while in the process of making something. I am not worried about programming the device, but more of how to build it, as I do have a little bit of programming experience. My first question is, is there anyway to "stream" the information from my pc to the cube instead of having to program the chip, remove the chip from the programmer, and then put it back into the cube's board? I am looking for a way to program the chip via rs232, usb, or ethernet. Once I have that down, I think I will be fine, but my goal is to continue working with the same chip until I get a 5x5x5 cube, so I am looking for a chip that has a fairly good sized flash. Could you help me out by putting me on to the right track? I know I am kinda jumping the gun, but I learn best by that

Thank you very much!
-wee

You could always get the RGB cube kit.
http://embeddedmicro.com/index.php/
This has an ISP programming connector directly on the board, so you can program it without removing the chip. But you'll need an AVR ISP programmer
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=3808
Or something similar to that.