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In his presentation at LA RubyConf 2009, Brendan Lim discusses how to effectively mobilize Rails applications to cater to the growing number of mobile users. He highlights that there are approximately 2.9 billion mobile users worldwide, with a significant portion accessing the internet exclusively via mobile devices, emphasizing the importance for developers to optimize their applications for this demographic.

Key Points Discussed:
- **Mobile Usage Statistics**: Lim provides statistics on mobile users and emphasizes the need for companies to prioritize mobile accessibility as it becomes a primary access point for the internet, especially in developing countries.
- **Tools and Techniques**: He introduces tools and methods, specifically mentioning the importance of adapting web applications to offer interactive experiences across various devices, while also discussing some major challenges like varying screen sizes and limited support for technologies like JavaScript and Flash on mobile devices.
- **Mobile Fu Plugin**: Lim introduces the Mobile Fu gem, which allows developers to easily switch between desktop and mobile layouts based on the user's device. He showcases how simple changes in Rails controllers can enhance user experiences by displaying mobile-specific templates.
- **Handling Communication**: He emphasizes the effectiveness of SMS and MMS as communication tools for engaging users in the mobile space. Lim explains that SMS has a high open rate and provides insights into how to integrate SMS functionality within Rails applications using gateways like Twilio and plugins like SMS Fu.
- **Managing Incoming Media**: Lim discusses tools such as m2r, which simplifies the process of handling incoming multimedia messages, highlighting the importance of user-generated content and how applications can leverage this data effectively.

**Conclusion**: Lim concludes by reiterating that mobilizing a Rails application can enhance user engagement and is feasible with the right tools. He encourages developers to explore the mentioned plugins and technologies to optimize their applications for mobile users, ultimately opening the floor for questions, indicating his openness to further discuss the topic.

This presentation serves as a valuable resource for developers looking to improve their applications for the increasing number of mobile users, showcasing practical solutions and statistics that stress the importance of mobile optimization.

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