Movies, books, and TV have the power to spark our imagination, transport us to new worlds, make us laugh, cry and scream in terror.  They also have the power to get us excited about technology, and all the possibilities it can bring.

1980’s Sci-Fi introduced us to the tablet. Robots that clean our houses were a dream from a cartoon in the ’60s, and television showed us something like Google Glass back in 2010. 

However, sometimes we get let down (Hoverboard anyone?).  It’s already 2013, and there’s no time machine to be found, car accidents are still way too prevalent, we can’t clone humans yet, and no one has figured out how we can be in lots of places at one time. 

That’s the thing about technology though. Sometimes it’s flashy just like in the movies, but what really makes it amazing is how it solves problems.

Time Travel:

(xkcd)

In 2011, people in New York found out about an earthquake before they felt it thanks to Twitter. The speed at which information travels today is astounding, even if we can’t make a fortune betting on sporting events from the 1980s.

Driverless Cars: Google’s self-driving cars are now legal in Nevada and California and could mean incredible things for safety on the road when they are ready for prime time.

Cloning and Teleportation:

The Gigwalker community is growing by the minute, and every day we see amazing people with amazing stories doing amazing work. Last year we did a series of blogs called Featured Gigwalkers. We’re bringing it back so everyone can hear the same great stories we do.

Today we want to introduce you to Brian L’heureux. Brian’s been earning money on Gigwalk since September of 2012 when he did his first mystery shopping Gig for children’s tablets. Since then, he’s completed almost 300 Gigs.  You can find him all over Seattle in restaurants taking Panos for Bing, (He’s done nearly 200 Bing Gigs!) and helping out his fellow Gigwalkers on Facebook with their questions. So we asked Brian a few questions about himself, and he was happy to help us learn more about him!

How did you hear about Gigwalk?

I heard about Gigwalk when I went to West Virginia. I saw a report on the news.

Why did you start using the app?

I started using Gigwalk because my wife went into surgery. We needed the money because of her absence from work.

What do you do when you’re not using Gigwalk?

Believe it or not I constantly watch Gigwalk for Gigs. I consider this my full time job since I’m a stay at home dad to our pets lol.

How has Gigwalk helped you?

Gigwalk has helped us get by and has helped me learn the area since I’m new to Seattle. I have met great people and found great paces to eat.

What tips do you have for people who are trying to do Photosynth Gigs?

The best tip I can give for the Photosynth app is practice in your home before going out. The best technique I found was to hold my phone on the side and take one pic. Then lean the phone up then down, then turn it right and left, then repeat until you get the whole image.

What was your best experience while you were out doing Gigs?

One time, a business owner gave me a meal.  He wanted me to take his daughter and son in law out, show them how to do Gigs, and teach them how I talk to business owners to get in and quickly do the Photosynth. He paid me $100 to take them out for a day and train them.

We love hearing your Gigwalking stories! Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below if you’d like to be a Featured Gigwalker. We’ll be doing one every month here on the blog.

2012 was a great year for Gigwalk, and 2013 is looking even better. We want to thank our customers, Gigwalkers, and everyone who’s been a part of our family since the beginning. We wish you all a Happy New Year!