Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements and Other Financial Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

3. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AND OTHER FINANCIAL MEASUREMENTS

Our financial instruments are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis.  We have no financial instruments accounted for on a non-recurring basis as of December 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the entity can access as of the measurement date.

Level 2 – Significant other observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs that reflect a company’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

In arriving at fair-value estimates, we utilize the most observable inputs available for the valuation technique employed. If a fair-value measurement reflects inputs at multiple levels within the hierarchy, the fair-value measurement characterized based upon the lowest level of input that is significant is applied to the fair-value measurement. For us, recurring fair-value measurements are performed for warrant liabilities.

All warrant liability financial instruments are recognized in the balance sheet at their fair value. Changes in the fair values of warrant liability financial instruments are reported in earnings. We do not hold any derivative liability financial instruments that reduce risk associated with hedging exposure and we have not designated any of our warrant liability financial instruments as hedge instruments.

The Company has no items valued using Level 1 and Level 2 inputs. The fair values and corresponding classifications under the appropriate level of the fair value hierarchy of outstanding warrants recorded as recurring liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet were as follows:

In thousands of dollars

			Year Ended December 31,
	Level		2012		2011
Warrant liabilities:		3	$	90	$	654

    The following table presents quantitative information for Level 3 measurements:

In thousands of dollars

	Fair value at December 31, 2012		Valuation technique	Unobservable input
Liabilities:
Warrant liabilities	$	90	Monte Carlo option simulation model	Prevailing interest rates, Company’s stock price volatility, expected warrant term

There have been no transfers between Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 categories.

The following table summarizes current warrant liabilities recorded at fair value at December 31, 2012:

In thousands of dollars

	Fair Value		Carrying Value
Warrant liabilities:	$	90	$	90
Total	$	90	$	90

Financial instruments classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy represent warrant liabilities in which management has used at least one significant unobservable input in the valuation model. The following table represents a reconciliation of activity for such warrant liabilities:

In thousands of dollars

Warrant liabilities
Opening balance – December 31, 2011	$	654
Purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements
Transfers into and (or) out of Level 3
Change in fair value		(564	)
Unrealized gains / (losses)
Other adjustments
Closing balance – December 31, 2012	$	90

There were no purchases, sales, transfers, issuances or settlements of Level 3 financial instruments. There were no assets or liabilities measured on a non-recurring basis as of December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

Other Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts and fair values of financial instruments are as follows:

In thousands of dollars

		2012				2011
		Carrying value		Fair value		Carrying value		Fair value
Accounts receivable, net	2	$	1,498	$	1,498	$	333	$	333
Trade accounts payable	2	$	2,599	$	2,599	$	5,870	$	5,870
Capital lease obligation	2	$	9	$	9	$	12	$	12
Note payable	2	$	6,680	$	6,680

The following methods were used to estimate the fair values of other financial instruments:

Accounts receivable, Trade accounts payable, Capital lease obligation and Note payable. The carrying amounts approximate fair value due to their short term nature.