user: Twitter Digits Replaces Your Passwords With Your Phone Number

App users will no longer have to remember passwords if Twitter has any say. A Twitter product for developers called Digits will let users log into apps with a phone number.

While most apps require an email address to log in, Digits lets you register for apps with phone numbers instead. By entering a phone number, selecting your home country and entering a one-time passcode into the app (sent via SMS), you'll be ready to go.

Digits is a part of Twitter Fabric, a toolkit designed to help developers build better, more lucrative apps. But it doesn't actually have anything to do with Twitter; Digits is a standalone service any app developer can use.

An example of a user receiving a passcode from Twitter's Digits service via SMS, then using that passcode to log into an app.

The announcement came on stage at the first Twitter Flight conference for mobile developers in San Francisco. The company said Digits will launch in 216 countries and in 28 languages on iOS, Android and the web later today.

Twitter notes that logins are an issue in emerging markets because many people don't have PCs and email addresses; because smartphones are cheaper, it's more common to have a phone number. By relying on phone numbers, Digits could let some apps tap into a large group of new users.

Markets aside, Digits solves a problem that faces every mobile user: the need to remember usernames and passwords — often long and complicated ones — to get up and running on an app. But companies can get creative, too. McDonald's is one of the first companies to use the service via its McDonald's Alarm app. This lets friends share coupons and offers with others; to redeem the offer, the user must prove they're a real person.

"McDonald’s felt social sign-ins put too much burden on a user to share personal details, and that email addresses and passwords were too often forgotten or onerous to manage," Twitter said in an official blog post. "Digits enables McDonald’s to quickly authenticate real users and get them into the app with a minimum of friction."

Developers will be able to build Digits into apps for free. It's unclear how — or if — Twitter plans to monetize Digits.

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summary: A new Twitter product called Digits lets you log into apps just by tapping in your phone number.


Update: SF Giants issue apology to Adam Jones for AT&T Park banana incident

Adam Jones, right, is congratulated after hitting a three-run home run off Barry Zito in the ninth inning. Jones says that in the bottom of the ninth, a fan threw a banana at him. (Ben Margot/AP)

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said on Twitter a fan threw a banana at him in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game.

In a tweet, Jones wrote, “I want to thank whatever (expletive) threw that banana towards my direction in CF in the last inning. Way to show ur class u jackass.”

Jorge Costa, the Giants’ senior vice president of ballpark operations, said Sunday night he hadn’t heard any in-house radio calls about the alleged incident. Costa said the AT&T Park command post was reviewing surveillance footage of the ninth inning and that the matter will remain under review on Monday.

The alleged incident came shortly after Jones, an African American, hit a three-run homer off Barry Zito in the top of the ninth inning. The Giants lost 10-2 in front of 41,622, which they announced as their 226th consecutive sellout.

Jones posted follow-up tweets. One was, “I love how some ppl are defending the actions by someone today. Shows how u really are also. All good wit me. I just #StayHungry”

Another: “Good chance this means I get off social media soon”

Jones has more than 129,000 Twitter followers. The Orioles won two of three in San Francisco and begin their next series in Arizona on Monday.

A Giants spokesman said fans throwing objects onto the field is grounds for an ejection.

The San Francisco Giants issued this apology via press release on Monday morning:

We were extremely disappointed to learn about the incident involving Adam Jones at AT&T Park yesterday. The Giants have a zero tolerance policy against this type of behavior, which results in immediate ejection from the ballpark. While we have been investigating the matter since we learned of the situation, unfortunately we have been unable to identify the person responsible. We would like to extend our sincerest apologies to Adam and the entire Orioles organization for this unfortunate incident. The inappropriate actions of this individual in no way reflect the values of our organization and our fans.

summary:

assistant: By John Shea Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said on Twitter a fan threw a banana at him in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game. In a tweet, Jones wrote, “I want to thank whatever (expletive) threw...