By Patrick Weber, MESA International Technical and Education Committee member
The late 90’s were heady times in the battery industry. The Sony Walkman cassette players that had been all the rage were giving way to CD and other digital technologies. Digital cameras were supplanting 35mm as the consumer choice for photography. New and innovative battery-driven products were appearing daily. Energizer and Duracell were in a continuous battle for who could produce the longest-lasting portable power solutions to keep these devices going. The long-term prospects for the battery industry were for constant growth – and constant change.