Tech giants are also superstitious, and AMD and Microsoft use good snacks to keep devices running smoothly

IT Home reported on February 5 that in Taiwan, China, engineers at technology companies seem to have a special preference for a puffed corn snack called "obedient". Last summer, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su proudly displayed a pack of oversized versions of her cartoon image during a meeting with the AMD team in Taiwan. In the photo, another executive is holding a standard-sized AMD Ryzen co-branded snack. These co-branded models are currently available on Taiwanese online platforms, and the regular version can be found in Taiwanese convenience stores.

TSMC has previously partnered with Obedient to launch co-branded snacks, and tech giants such as AMD and Microsoft are also trying to harness the power of this lucky snack to ensure that their products always run smoothly.

It turns out that even semiconductor engineers at the forefront of science and technology are not immune to superstition. There is a "good culture" in Taiwan, where engineers and machine operators often place a pack of good snacks on or near important equipment. According to tech folklore, doing so ensures the smooth operation of the equipment.

The Wikipedia article on "good culture" states that this snack is not only placed next to computer equipment to perform lucky magic, but has also become a common item in police stations, toll booths, hospitals, theaters, various government offices, and other places.

It is said that Microsoft has also cooperated with Obedient to launch a peacock rice puff co-branded snack. This can be a mistake because no one seems to use this snack to pray for good luck. What's more, superstition holds that only the coconut cream (green packaging) is truly lucky, because its green color means that the machine is always green and running smoothly.

A 52-gram pack of the 52-gram pack costs NT$25 (about 5.7 RMB) at convenience stores, and other common flavors include spice (yellow packaging) and spicy (red packaging).