13. Income taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2014		2013		2012
Current:
Federal	$	176	$	1,479	$	1,973
State		15		38		46
Foreign		12		33		40
		203		1,550		2,059
Deferred:
Federal		(1,653)		80		(116)
State		17		(34)		21
Foreign		-		-		-
		(1,636)		46		(95)
Income tax (benefit) provision	$	(1,433)	$	1,596	$	1,964

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	December 31,
(In thousands)	2014		2013
Deferred tax assets:
Foreign net operating losses	$	282	$	242
Capitalized research and development		-		68
Accrued lawsuit settlement expenses		1,262		-
Inventory reserves		1,063		1,050
Deferred revenue		56		59
Warranty reserve		100		127
Stock compensation expense		1,049		956
Other accrued compensation		406		-
Foreign tax and other credits		106		45
Other liabilities and reserves		312		491
Gross deferred tax assets		4,636		3,038
Valuation allowance		(282)		(242)
Net deferred tax assets		4,354		2,796
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation		142		175
Other		76		46
Net deferred tax liabilities		218		221
Total net deferred tax assets		4,136	$	2,575

Summary of Valuation Allowance [Table Text Block]

	Year ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2014		2013		2012
Balance, beginning of period	$	242	$	216	$	176
Additions charged to income tax provision		40		56		40
Reductions credited to income tax provision		-		(30)		-
Balance, end of period	$	282	$	242	$	216

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Federal statutory tax rate		34.0%		34.0%		34.0%
R&D credit		6.0		-		-
State income taxes, net of federal income taxes		(0.5)		0.1		0.8
Valuation allowance and tax accruals		(1.1)		0.9		0.9
Uncertain tax positions		(1.0)		-		-
Miscellaneous permanent items		(0.3)		(8.3)		(0.8)
Other		0.1		(2.3)		0.3
Effective tax rate		37.2%		24.4%		35.2%

Summary of Positions for which Significant Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits is Reasonably Possible [Table Text Block]

(In thousands)	2014		2013
Unrecognized tax benefits as of January 1	$	106	$	251
Tax positions taken during the current period		18		79
Lapse of statute of limitations		-		(224)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31	$	124	$	106