Dialogic to Demo Mobile Video Conferencing over 4G/LTE, Cisco to Acquire Truviso, and More

Milpitas-based Dialogic Inc. is gearing up to host a large public demonstration of the power of its mobile communications products and services, such as its Dialogic PowerMedia software. The mobile video demonstration, scheduled to take place May 8 at the CTIA Wireless 2012 event, will showcase popular smartphone and tablet devices connecting to a video conference over a live 4G/LTE network, with “the distinguishing and compelling option” to stream video content into the conference. Dialogic Inc. says the streaming video element of PowerMedia Software readily lends itself to many social, business and vertical market-oriented applications.

Cisco announced Thursday that it plans to acquire network analytics company Truviso for an undisclosed amount, in an effort to help users hone operational efficiencies. Truviso, a Foster City-based, real-time Web analytics software company, will add the capability to analyze streaming data to the Cisco Prime network management platform, the company said in a statement. Cisco plans to integrate the Truviso team into the Cisco Network Management Technology Group. Truviso claims to be able to analyze up to 500,000 data records per second. Cisco plans to close the deal in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2012, which ends in July.

Milpitas-based Leotek is caught in the middle of a patent feeding-frenzy over LED technology. Leotek, the Milpitas-based unit of Lite-On Technology Corp., recently filled a large order for the tiny city of Pocahontas in Iowa, for replacing all 280 of the city’s streetlamps with semiconductors that turn electricity into light. The old yellowish lamps now shine a brighter white and use about half the electricity, which should let the $190,000 investment pay off within four years.

What this all means is, the world is currently undergoing a transformation in lighting as incandescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes, high-pressure sodium lights and even the backlighting of some television sets are gradually replaced by light-emitting diodes. Phone and computer screens, Audi AG's "eyebrow" headlights, and traffic signals all use LEDs. It's become a gold rush for LED makers. It has also spawned patent lawsuits around the globe over inventions that make lights brighter and more economical. In the U.S. alone, multiple states are currently embroiled in patent-infringement lawsuits. Luckily for Milpitas’ Leotek, they’re currently not one of the companies due in the courtroom.

This week, JDSU announced the release of its newest product, PacketInsight, a software-enabled next generation network monitoring solution that pinpoints service-affecting network issues “hundreds of times faster than any competing offering,” at rates approaching 10 gigabits per second.

“Reviewing massive amounts of stored network data is often required to identify and resolve network problems. Sifting through terabytes of stored data can often take days. Unlike any other solution available on the market, PacketInsight rapidly ‘rewinds’ to points in time on the network and pinpoints quality impairment issues,” JDSU’s press release explained. JDSU has reportedly already received an order for PacketInsight from a U.S.-based tier 1 network operator.

Fluorescent lighting for beginners

Fluorescent lighting should need no introduction. Such is the popularity of this type of light unit that it can be seen in nearly every office and department store.

And when it comes to kitting out your aquarium, fluorescent light units are no less popular. But with a huge variety of lighting units available, including LED lighting and metal halides, here is a quick break down to explain the appeal of this ever popular light unit.

First of all the huge benefit of using such a popular product is that it is time tested and very well known, with a variety of spare parts available should you need them. Fluorescent lighting products and bulbs are relatively cheap compared with other products.

The AquaEl Classic 100 is a prime example of one the many modern aquariums that come with fluorescent lighting that is integrated into the product. It shows just how popular fluorescent lighting is, as well as how easy sourcing spare parts can be, that are available in a range of styles and sizes.

One of the few drawbacks to this type of lighting, especially when compared with LED light units, is that the bulbs do have a tendency to get warm and will need replacing annually to ensure the light quality stays at its strongest.

Fluorescent light units can also have a positive effect on the look and development of your aquarium. They are useful for supporting aquarium plants, however to achieve the best results a higher number of light tubes should be used. And when used for the support of coral growth, high output fluorescent T5 bulbs should be used.

Modern fluorescent light units that require a higher output and will usually use a T5 bulb, instead of a T8 bulb. The difference in these products is just to do with the size of the bulbs themselves, with T8 bulbs being larger than T5 bulbs. However, T8 bulbs are now being phased out in favour of the more powerful T5 bulbs, which offer a higher output.

A great tip when using fluorescent lighting is to make use of reflectors. These ingenious and cheap item’s will focus the light of the tubing towards your aquarium, thereby increasing the efficiency of the bulbs and reducing the amount of wasted light and energy.

Mustang man has invented a fishing gadget that he hopes will outshine the others

The fishing industry is full of gadgets and a Mustang man thinks his invention of a bite indicator light for night fishing is an improvement on all similar gadgets.

Jason Nelson earns a paycheck as a computer programmer and software developer. In his spare time, he likes to fish.

"I've fished my whole life," Nelson said. "I grew up with a farm pond behind my house that I used to sneak in on."

Nelson also likes to create stuff, especially stuff to make his fishing easier and more enjoyable. .

He has created a product called "StrikeLight" that can be clamped to fishing poles. A light will shine when an angler gets a bite. It's not a new idea, but Nelson says his bite indicator light is not a knock off others that came before it.

Unlike many fishing indicator lights on poles which feature a single exposed bulb, Nelson has designed a light chamber which encapsulates the light and concentrates it into the tip of the device.

A lot of similar products use just one exposed bulb at the tip of the pole, Nelson said. His invention uses two LED bulbs that are protected and shines brighter, he said.

"Instead of just the bulb lighting up, it has cap on the bulb so the whole tip of the StrikeLight lights up," Nelson said. "It's really easy to see if you are away from your fishing rod or not paying attention."

Nelson said it's also much easier to change the batteries on StrikeLight than other similar products. Anglers cansimply unscrew a cap on the back like a flashlight and replace two watch batteries.

Nelson came up with the idea for StrikeLight four years ago and built his first prototype with parts he bought at Radio Shack.

"It's been a long process to go from an idea to a drawing to actually having a product," he said.

After Nelson had a working model, he took it to a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer to produce 3-D drawings for a manufacturer, which builds and ships the StrikeLight to him.

The StrikeLight fits on most rod poles with clamps. The most difficult part of creating a bite indicator light was ensuring that it would not be triggered by wind or waves. It will only shine when there is actually a fish on the line, Nelson said.

Nelson built four prototypes to adjust the sensor before it would perform as he wanted so boat movement or wind vibrations would not trigger the light.

"It may twinkle every now and then," Nelson said. "If you are fishing in a 30 mph wind or three feet waves, it probably will (go off), but in normal fishing conditions my expectations and hopes are it won't light up until a fish bites."

Retired rental cars becoming popular option for buyers

Don Hines just went shopping to replace the Cadillac he bought for his wife in 2003, but instead of going the traditional route to a dealership, he headed to a car lot full of retired rental vehicles run by Enterprise Car Sales.

"I bought my last car here and had a good experience, so I thought I'd come back and try to find another one," said Hines, a printing company salesman.

Analysts report that the sale of former rental cars directly to consumers is booming -- with many vehicles that have logged between 25,000 and 40,000 miles available at rental company used-car lots or via the Internet.

Rental companies like Enterprise, Hertz and others are remarketing their vehicles straight to consumers more often -- and are even arranging for financing -- rather than selling the cars back to manufacturers. That once-common practice was severely curtailed over the past four years as the entire auto industry fought back from recession.

"The (automakers') buyback program in the mid-2000s would have been about 80 percent, but now it's swapped to where the majority of rental cars are outright sales, leaving the rental companies to remarket the cars on their own," said Chris Brown, editor of Auto Rental News, an industry publication.

Rental operators are now keeping vehicles in their fleets longer -- typically up to a year and a half, or when they reach an average mileage of about 40,000, according to industry statistics.

For rental car companies, direct sales can be profitable, especially now that used-car prices have risen significantly because of a shortage of late-model trade-ins as more people hang on to to their older cars because of economic uncertainty.

The U.S. recession caused a drop in new car sales, from about 17 million in 2007 to 10.5 million in 2009 and around 12 million last year.

No exact statistics were available on how many cars are sold directly to consumers by rental lots, but industry analysts say the niche is growing and more consumers are becoming aware of the possibility.

"Right now, the marketplace for used vehicles is pretty robust, so there is a profit opportunity for whoever is selling these rental cars," said Jeremy Anwyl.

The trend ebbs and flows with the economy and other factors, but some rental companies say selling directly to consumers is more profitable than any other option when they retire a vehicle.

Hertz, for instance, had dropped out of direct sales but is now back in the business again.

Enterprise's lot in Hendersonville, Tenn., was populated with a steady stream of customers late this week.

About 70 vehicles were on display there, ranging from compacts such as the Ford Focus and Kia Forte to midsize models such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. There also were sports cars, minivans, and even some larger passenger and cargo vans. Most were 2010 or 2011 models, although one was a 2005.

Montco aims for 'honest budgets'

Even as they slashed county services and held row officers to a tight fiscal line, Montgomery County's former commissioners obscured legal expenses for their offices, including $2.2 million in unbudgeted payments to outside law firms, a review of the last four years of county books shows.

Some of it also went to pay at least 13 part-time staff lawyers, whose salaries were added to other departments so as not to inflate the annual budget of the county's executive office, members of the former administration said.

"There's no consistent reason why money was budgeted in one area or another," said Uri Monson, the chief financial officer hired as part of a new county administration this year. "These aren't what I would consider honest budgets."

Each year, the former commissioners allotted $100,000 for legal payments to outside firms. But year after year, actual expenses exceeded that amount, sometimes by as much as $700,000 in one year.

To cover the gap, the county often tapped its general fund - a "rainy day" reserve it at times refused to touch when it came to spending for other departments.

Former Montgomery County Solicitor Barry Miller, who drafted the legal spending plans, defended the payments. The money bought legitimate legal services, even if the annual budget never accurately reflected the costs, he said.

"You know as well as I do that budgets are all about smoke and mirrors," he said. "Sometimes you just have to be creative."

The hidden spending came to light earlier this month and has since driven a wedge between members of the county's previous administration, led by former Commissioners' Chairman James R. Matthews, a Republican, and the current one, chaired by Democrat Josh Shapiro.

A 69-page grand jury report issued days before Matthews left office in 2011 lambasted his administration for reckless spending, awarding plum positions to friends, and doling out contracts to contributors.

Matthews was charged with false swearing and perjury as a result - counts he has denied. A judge has since thrown out the perjury charge.

Miller, whom the grand jury painted as Matthews' right hand, was fired shortly after the report was released.

The document did not mention any of the unbudgeted legal expenses incurred under his watch. But asked about them last month, Matthews said he didn't know why payments to bond lawyers and attorneys representing the county in employee liability claims and labor contract negotiations never appeared on the budget.

"You'll have to ask Barry [Miller] about that," he said. "I'm interested to hear what he says."

Miller explained the issue as a difference of opinion in how a county solicitors' office should be run.

As Matthews' administration took office in 2008 at the height of an economic downturn, Miller said he sought to staff a legal team that relied less on full-time government lawyers and outsourced much of its work to firms that could handle it more cost effectively.