Technologies

$4 Billion Center Set to Speed Chip Progress for Phones, Cars, and Everything Else

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit Applied Materials Monday as the company touts a new Silicon Valley R&D center.

During the worst days of the pandemic, a chip shortage may have stopped you from buying a Ford F-150 or Sony PlayStation. Now some of the $53 billion in federal funds to try to ease the problem could help boost a new chip manufacturing research center in Silicon Valley.

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit Applied Materials on Monday as the chip manufacturing equipment supplier details a $4 billion investment center in California’s high-tech hub for a 30% boost to the pace of processor manufacturing advancements. The $53 billion hasn’t been doled out yet, but Applied Materials’ new center is exactly the kind of US research and development facility it’s designed to help.

Chip progress has slowed in recent years because of the physics and engineering challenges of miniaturizing chip circuitry. At the same time, much of the chip making business has moved out of the United States to Taiwan, South Korea and other Asian nations.

The pandemic induced chip shortage revealed global supply chain problems and showed just how much the United States economy relies on overseas manufacturing for arguably the most important components in just about everything with a battery or power plug. The result was the 2022 passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, with its $53 billion subsidy for chip research and manufacturing. So far, the Commerce Department has received 300 statements of interest from applicants hoping to tap into the funds.

A rendering of the planned Applied Materials’ EPIC Center, a $4 billion research and development to speed chip manufacturing progress

Applied Materials

Applied Materials’ new 180,000-square-foot Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) Center is designed to speed up progress and anchor the industry in the US. At the EPIC Center, Applied Materials hopes to speed up both the adoption of new ideas from academia and their transfer to the companies like TSMC, Samsung and Intel that actually build the chips.

Applied Materials is one of the top companies that manufactures chip making equipment. It’s what companies like Intel, Samsung and TSMC buy so they can build the processors in phones, cars, toys, TVs, military equipment, appliances and many more products. It’s on the leading edge of efforts to continue progress in making chip circuitry smaller, more efficient, and more powerful.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Oct. 20

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 20.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It was a tough one for a change! That 1-Across is going to slyly trick you as to what a mouse is. So if you need the answers, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Sound from a mouse
Answer: CLICK

6A clue: Many-headed serpent killed by Hercules
Answer: HYDRA

7A clue: View from a cruise ship window
Answer: OCEAN

8A clue: «See ya later!»
Answer: PEACE

9A clue: Animal whose antlers can grow up to an inch per day
Answer: ELK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Dice, e.g.
Answer: CHOP

2D clue: French for «high school»
Answer: LYCEE

3D clue: 10 out of 10
Answer: IDEAL

4D clue: Sound from a bat
Answer: CRACK

5D clue: «Citizen ___»
Answer: KANE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 20, #392

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 20, No. 392.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a category for all the Windy City residents out there. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Deep-dish pizza, anyone?

Green group hint: Duke it out.

Blue group hint: College division.

Purple group hint: «Go to your ____!»

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Chicago teams.

Green group: With «weight,» combat sport divisions.

Blue group: American Conference teams.

Purple group: ____ room.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Chicago teams. The four answers are Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Sky.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is with «weight,» combat sport divisions. The four answers are bantam, feather, fly and heavy.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is American Conference teams. The four answers are Blazers, Chanticleers, Green Wave and Pirates.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ room. The four answers are dressing, film, green and locker.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 20, #862

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 20, No. 862.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a tricky purple category, but that almost always goes without saying. If you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: What’s the matter?

Green group hint: Stars at night.

Blue group hint: Science info.

Purple group hint: On the cob.