Periscope no longer requires Twitter for sign ups
Periscope used to require Twitter integration, because the livestreaming app's kinda, sorta owned by the social network. Yes, we did mean to say "used to," because its latest version gives you the power to choose between a Twitter account and a phone number to sign up. You'll still get user recommendations based on your Follow list if you register via Twitter, but that's pretty much the only difference between the two. The new Periscope also allows you to swap profile pictures with snapshots in your Camera Roll and makes replying to comments during broadcast a one-tap affair. Finally, if you install the refreshed app from iTunes, know that every strike of your banhammer will be announced on the comments section. Periscope says that adds an "important layer of transparency and accountability" and could even make those with God complex think twice before hitting block.
Update: A reader got in touch and pointed out that Periscope's new log-in system could be one of the first implementations of Twitter's Digits. It's a tool included in the company's mobile development kit called Fabric launched in 2014, and it allows devs to add a "sign up with phone number" option to their apps. [Thanks, Bastian!]
