• by Thom Forbes  @tforbes, January 4, 2016

Four years after his death, Steve Jobs still draws a crowd. A piece about a sympathetic new biography of the Apple co-founder was the most-read “Top of the News”column last year. Another entrepreneur whose passion and vision is frequently compared to Jobs, Elon Musk, is featured in two other Top 10 finishers.Bud Light stirred up controversy over a misguided “scroll message” on its label and new dietary labeling recommendations were served up for public — and lobbyists’ — comments. On the retail front, J. Crew hit rough waters, L.L. Bean seems to have the wind behind it and the Amex/Costco relationship became unmoored. P&G’s Gillette turned litigious over the Dollar Shaving Club and Turbo Tax miscalculated just how far it could push its customers.

Apple Leaders Rally Behind New Bio Of Steve Jobs

Becoming Steve Jobs, an unauthorized biography that will be released tomorrow, has not only been garnering headlines for a Fast Company excerpt and selected leaks, but also is being positioned as a more accurate — and sympathetic — portrayal of the Apple founder than the one in Steve Jobs, the authorized and bestselling biography by Walter Isaacson. (March 23)

Electric Vehicles Get Cheaper And Extend Their Range

Even as gas prices hit their lowest points since the recession in 2009 and with experts predicting oil could go below $40 a barrel in coming months, the North American Auto Show opened in Detroit yesterday with lots of buzz about electric cars that will be hitting the road soon with more than twice the roving capacity of the current affordable offerings. (Jan. 13)

With Customers In A Tizzy Over The Tilly, J.Crew Sheds Lead Designer, Lays Off 175

With sales diving, customers carping about poor design and high prices, and analysts getting antsy about pinched revenue and profitability, J.Crew announced Wednesday that Somsack Sikhounmuong, who has led design for its Madewell brand for two years, will replace a departing Tom Mora as head of women's design for the J.Crew brand. It is also laying off 175 people, primarily at corporate headquarters in New York. (June 11)

Software Update Will Allow Tesla Model S To Drive Itself To Malibu This Summer

“Wheredja learn to drive?” will begin its road trip to the Archive of Quaint Phrases this summer if Tesla Motors has its way. CEO Elon Musk said yesterday that a software update to the Model S will allow it to drive itself on highways or private property as soon as three months from now. (March 20)

Now The Food Fight Begins: Dietary Panel Calls For Less Meat, Sugar, Refined Grains

Reflecting what we’ve all been reading in recent years, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that makes recommendations to two government agencies that, in turn, issue recommendations for what the nation’s consumers should buy and eat, is telling people to ingest more veggies, fruits, seafood, whole grains, beans and nuts and to cut down on red and processed meat, added sugars in food and drink and refined grains. Moderate amounts of alcohol and low- and not-fat dairy products are okay for most people, the report also says. (Feb. 20)

Bud Light Blasted For Label Many Say Promotes Rape Culture

Saying it would “never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior,” Anheuser-Busch yesterday withdrew one of the 140 “scroll messages” on Bud Light labels that appear to do just that after widespread protests that it was winking at rape culture. “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night. #upforwhatever,” the message reads. (April 29)

Gillette Claims Dollar Shaving Club's Blades Cut It Too Close

Procter & Gamble’s Gillette subsidiary filed a federal lawsuit against the Dollar Shave Club yesterday, claiming that the upstart — which has grabbed more than 50% of the online market since opening its portal in 2012 and now claims to be the No. 2 blade brand overall in volume — is infringing on patents that have been “revolutionizing the shaving experience time and again since the advent of the first safety razor” more than a century ago. (Dec. 18)

L.L. Bean Putting Boots On The Ground, Expanding To 'At Least 100' Stores

L.L. Bean, which has archived more about direct sales to consumers through its catalog, website and retail stores than many an Internet startup has ever learned, says it will quadruple its brick-and-mortar outlets to “at least 100” by 2020 starting with four more undisclosed locations this year, reports the AP’s David Sharp. (March 12)

TurboTax Corrects Its Return, Again

As any kid knows, it’s not wise to spring an unwelcome surprise on your parents while they are preparing their income taxes. Intuit’s TurboTax, of all entities, has just learned the lesson. After several weeks of tumult in social media — and a previous unsatisfactory attempt to mollify returning users with a $25 rebate offer after they filed their taxes using software that was stripped of key forms included in previous years — the nation’s largest tax preparation software firm “totally cave[d]” yesterday, as USA Today puts it. (Jan. 30)

American Express Leaving Home At Costco

After a 16-year exclusive relationship, American Express announced yesterday that it would be splitting up with Costco when its current agreement comes to an end on March 31, 2016, sending its stock into a downward spin and setting up speculation about which company — if any — will next co-brand with the No. 2 chain after Walmart in worldwide retail sales, according to Kantar Retail data. (Feb. 13)