Until 
fairly recently, the business model for adult entertainment performers was simple: Agents handled their business arrangements, and that was that.
But as the industry consolidates and develops new outlets, a different kind of star is appearing—one in charge of her own destiny. Though independent players are still somewhat rare (agents continue to represent most performers), a few big names are starting to branch out on their own.
While 
the sex toy industry has seen much more acceptance in the past two years, it still has a way to go before it’s considered an everyday part of mainstream culture.
Securing shelf space in retail stores isn’t the herculean challenge it once was, but the makers of these adult novelties have to walk a fine line to ensure their products are identifiable, but not something that will cause a backlash among conservative shoppers.
The 
impact of “Fifty Shades of Grey” on the porn world is hard to overstate.
The explicit best seller sparked an interest in areas that were largely considered taboo at the time—resulting in a sizable interest in both DVDs that dealt with the subject of bondage and the multiple adult novelty accessories that are part of the culture.
When 
Jenna Jameson retired from porn six years ago, she went out with a bang.
On stage at the 2008 AVN Awards—porn’s equivalent of the Oscars—she announced her exit at the peak of her career, saying, “I will never, ever, ever spread my legs again in this industry. Ever!”
There’s 
a saying in the technology world: If you want to know the next big thing, keep your eye on the porn industry.
Though retailers have begun to warm to bitcoin, however, adult entertainment companies have resisted accepting the virtual currency—even as revenues at many studios have plunged in recent years.
The 
market for professional money managers isn’t going away anytime soon, but as the mobile industry becomes more sophisticated, apps are starting to handle some of the heavy lifting.
That’s a good thing, too, since Americans on the whole are woefully bad at managing their finances. A study by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Investor Education Foundation found that 19 percent of Americans are spending more money then they make. Meanwhile, the FINRA Foundation’s “State-by-State Financial Capability Survey,” which surveyed more than 25,000 respondents, found that 56 percent don’t have enough tucked away to cover three months of unanticipated financial emergencies.
Porn, 
goes the legend, is a technological bellwether. It was a chief reason the consumer world adopted VHS tapes instead of Beta, and it embraced putting content online long before the movie or music industries.
But when it comes to monetizing that digital content, the adult industry has fallen behind. While Apple, Netflix and other services were able to persuade customers to pay for songs and programming that were once regularly stolen, porn companies have seen their industry spiral, devastated by piracy.
2013 
couldn’t have gone much worse for the porn industry.
The DVD business, once the lifeblood of adult film producers, dwindled even further. Legal challenges over mandatory condom laws continued to dog the industry. And porn companies were forced to shut down production three times after four performers tested positive for HIV.
The 
porn world loves new superstars almost as much as it loves a comeback story.
That, at least in part, is why the industry’s top stars change so frequently. Fans love to find new performers, but when their old favorites return in front of the camera, the loyalty they retain is something that would make any business envious.
With the industry’s annual expo underway in Las Vegas this week, we’ve once again assembled a list of the most popular female porn stars. Like last year, though, the number of return appearances is minimal. Only three of the actors who appeared on 2013’s list are back this year, though two who fell off after 2012 have returned.
The 
next-generation console wars are stalemated so far.
Microsoft said Wednesday that it has sold more than 2 million Xbox One units in the system’s first 18 days of availability. That comes roughly a week after Sony said it had sold 2.1 million PlayStation 4 units in the first 14 days.
That represents a total of $1.8 billion-plus in sales of console hardware in three and a half weeks.
Chris Morris: Journalist 