Cisco Systems says it is killing off the Flip camcorder as it pulls back from consumer operations. But some analysts think this is just one more sign that consumers are leaving behind their camcorders and instead shooting videos with smart phones.
MELISSA BLOCK, Host: NPR's Zoe Chace reports that the video camera industry is struggling to find its place in the smart phone era.</s>ZOE CHACE: People love making movies, even the most mundane.</s>DAVE: This is "Cooking with Dave" once again. I'm Dave. Today I'm going to cook a couple of eggs, a little Southern breakfast with some grits and some ham.</s>ZOE CHACE: And with how easy it is to upload your movies onto the Internet, people are really into filmmaking. Only, apparently, not with a camcorder - they do it with a phone.</s>LANCE ULANOFF: Suddenly you have a device that not only does video, but you can make phone calls, you can do email. So, why do you need another device in your pocket like a Flip?</s>ZOE CHACE: Lance Ulanoff, editor of PCMag, says your smartphone is enough. And he says Kodak, Sony, Flip's competitors have to be a little flipped out. Flip created the market for pocket-sized camcorders. So maybe now the market is dying.</s>STEPHEN BAKER: I think everyone does believe at some point in the future, the stand-alone video camera will become a challenged product.</s>ZOE CHACE: Cisco is not primarily a consumer electronics company like Apple, Sony or Kodak. Though Cisco's cameras were performing well, their earnings were not. And Baker says Cisco sent a message to their investors that they would make some serious changes. But in the tech world, Baker says, ignore the customer at your peril.</s>STEPHEN BAKER: Consumers are the driving force for innovation, growth and change in the technology market.</s>ZOE CHACE: Zoe Chace, NPR News.