--- description: Electromagnetic radiation is everywhere, this app lets you picture the wireless data landscape around you. title: New App Visualizes Radio Waves Around You image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28b31406b394ae0c/698872d8196cf43ef20392f7/23.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # New App Visualizes Radio Waves From Cell Towers and Satellites Around You by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 26, 2015 9:26 AM CUT  An example of the "Architecture of Radio" app An example of the "Architecture of Radio" appJuuke Schoorl by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 26, 2015 9:26 AM CUT When you check your phone or laptop, the only indication of radio waves in your area is probably the bars for your Wi-Fi or cellular signal. But electromagnetic radiation is everywhere, being transmitted from millions of towers and Wi-Fi routers — and this app lets you visualize the wireless data landscape around you. [It’s called “Architecture of Radio,” ](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/architecture-of-radio/id1035160239?mt=8 "undefined")from Richard Vijgen, [an artist and programmer in the Netherlands](http://www.richardvijgen.nl/#architectureofradio "undefined"). “We are increasingly dependent on a global ecosystem of digital signals. We use them for so many things, yet we cannot see them,” reads Vijgen’s description of the app… [_Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News_](http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/app-visualizes-radio-waves-cell-towers-satellites-around-you-n469781?cid=par-time-tech%5F20151126 "undefined") ### See Steve Jobs’ Legacy in 16 Photos  1976 Apple I was Apple's first computer, which became obsolete within a year. Today, they are auctioned off as collector's items. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  1977 Apple II was the follow up to the Apple I computer. Apple II proved highly successful and spawned several variations. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images  1983 Lisa was Apple's office computer that was the first personal computer to use a graphical user interface. It was a commercial flop, largely because it retailed for a whopping $10,000. Ted Thai—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  1991 NeXT Station was a workstation computer manufactured by NeXT, a computer company Steve Jobs founded in 1985 after he was forced out of Apple. After Apple acquired NeXT in 1996, Jobs rejoined Apple. Kristy MacDonald—dapd/AP  1995 Pixar's Toy Story was the film studio's first feature film in 1995\. Pixar had spun out from a larger graphics corporation in 1986 with funding from Steve Jobs. Alan Dejecacion—Getty Images  1998 The iMac was originally released in 1998, and it was the first Mac computer to have a USB drive but no floppy disk. Many media outlets heralded it as a game changer. Over two million were sold in two years. John G. Mabanglo—AFP/Getty Images  1999 The iBook was a line of laptop computers designed for use in schools. The computer, called the "iMac to go," was a huge hit with several upgrades over the years. Ted Thai—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  1999 The Power Mac G3 was a personal computer in the Power Macintosh line. Its upgraded hardware meant it was faster than most other computers on the market. Alan Dejecacion—Getty Images  2001 Apple opened its first Apple Stores in 2001, with the original two stores in Virginia and California. On the opening day, thousands of Apple fans stood in line and collectively spent over half a million dollars. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  2003The iTunes Store is Apple's online digital media store that redefined the music purchase experience and became a runaway success within years. By 2008, it had become the largest music vendor in the U.S. Ian Waldie—Getty Images  2001The iPod followed the release of iTunes and other consumer-facing software. It offered data storage and a sleek design, and soon became the nation's go-to portable music player. Gabe Palacio—Getty Images  2006 Macbook Pro was Apple's first computer to use Intel Core processors, replacing PowerBook computers. The Macbook Pro line is Apple's latest laptop collection. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  2005 The Mac Mini was Apple's first consumer-targeted computer to ship without a display, keyboard or mouse, intended to minimize the space taken by a desktop computer. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  2007 The first iPhone was released after years of speculation that Apple would produce a smartphone. It was known for its large touch screen and finger-touch method, as opposed to using a stylus. It was marketed under the slogan "This is only the beginning." Tony Avelar—AFP/Getty Images  2008 The App Store is Apple's online marketplace for downloading and developing apps. It was released alongside its iPhone 3G, and both proved to be massive successes. The App Store logged over 10 million downloads on the first weekend. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  2010 The iPad is an Apple tablet computer that met mixed reviews, as users were not sure if it was intended to replace or supplement laptop use, though many praised its ability to connect to WiFi or 3G. That year, the iPad became the leader in the tablet computer market. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4127724/app-radio-waves-visualizer/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4127724/app-radio-waves-visualizer/"},"headline":"New App Visualizes Radio Waves From Cell Towers and Satellites Around You","datePublished":"2015-11-26T09:26:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:44:17.849Z","description":"\"We use them for so many things, yet we cannot see them\" its creator says","url":"https://time.com/4127724/app-radio-waves-visualizer/","keywords":["Tech","apps","Wireless","Data topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28b31406b394ae0c/698872d8196cf43ef20392f7/23.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28b31406b394ae0c/698872d8196cf43ef20392f7/23.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Architecture of Radio App","caption":"An example of the \"Architecture of Radio\" app","creditText":"Juuke Schoorl","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4127724/app-radio-waves-visualizer/","name":"New App Visualizes Radio Waves From Cell Towers and Satellites Around You"}}]}] ```