I've got a couple projects coming up that will need programmable electronics to do what I need them to.
The main features I'm looking for are-
Memory to store data, even if power is lost (can be built into the chip, or onto a memory card)
Ability to communicate via I2C bus (will be using an accurate timing chip which transmits a triggered time via I2C)
Ability to communicate to a computer for downloading data (won't really be needed if using some form of memory card)
6 digital inputs, and 4 digital outputs in addition to the above.

At the moment, for simplicity, I'm thinking CuBloc, but are there any other easy to programme/not stupidly expensive options I should be looking at?
I have used PICs in the past, but CuBlocs seem to be a bit easier to programme/implement.

Also, any suggestions for electronic forums for getting help?