If you really want to play with magnets, first save away all your
computer diskettes, then go to a electronic repair shop and buy for
cents some of the surplus (bad, replaced) Microwave oven MAGNETRON
valves, dismount the metallic case and you will find one or two very
(really) powerful circular magnet (axial polarization), and prepare to
have a lot of trouble to separate them if you put two together. If you
instal a non magnetizable rod inside them (N-S S-N configuration) in a
vertical position, the top will float easily and will stand several
ounces of weight easily.  You can do several experiments with coils and
voice-coils with those strong magnets... use your PIC to generate the
power patterns...
Wagner.