This week Microsoft announced the release of its .NET Gadgeteer, a small toolkit that is similar to the popular Arduiono toolkit that allows hackers to create robots and other hardware and software projects using a pre-assembled parts kit.
Developers will be able to use Visual Studio for hardware programming using camera widgets, screens and heat sensors, create a hardware project, and program it using their computer. The starter kit from GHI Electronics will retail for $249.95 through September, 2011, and will include a camera module, USB host, micro-screen and SD Card reader.