Ask HN: Alternative for email verification?

Just few minutes before I came across this post[1] about how the webapp email verification takes so longer to complete, and it got me thinking the same issues I have been facing for recent time. Not just at the sending end, but at the receiving end..

Some webapps doesn't let you proceed without verifying your email and I have to wait painfully for the emails to arrive at my inbox, worse - I have one of my email forwarded to another account and if the verification email lands at my old email's junk, its done... So, is there any other alternatives? some available workarounds -

OAuth / OpenID Allowing the user to continue using the service and let them verify at their convenience

Also, rather than confirming via a link which then takes to the webapp for the confirmation, why not confirm them using say a reply email? this way the user doesn't have to leave their mailbox (more convenient for a mobile user)

Are there any alternatives, or am I just not in the reality?

[1] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8427577