Why Apple CEO’s Trip to China Is Very Important — Tech Roundup

Apple CEO Tim Cook is going to China and investors are hoping his meeting with government officials goes well. Sony files a patent for smart contact lens.

Author:: Bret Kenwell
Publish date:: May 6, 2016 4:29 PM EDT

Later this month, Apple (AAPL) - Get Report CEO Tim Cook is headed for China. That's important, as the tech giant recently lost a trademark battle, while also having some its services shut down in the country.

Add in the fact that iPhone sales slowed in China and it's caused a big concern among shareholders, most notably, Carl Icahn, who sold out of his Apple position after being a big supporter of the company for several years.

Icahn acknowledged that Apple is still a very good company, but his concerns over China were a big driver in his decision to cut the stock out of his portfolio. Many others apparently have too, as shares hit a new 52-week low on Friday.

It would be nice for shareholders to get some clarity on the situation in China, and more preferably, for Cook to patch things up with the government. He'll be meeting with several high up officials, so with any luck, the issues in China will be resolved sooner, rather than later.

Many investors would also prefer if these changes could go into effect before the next iteration of the iPhone launches later this year.

Shares of Apple closed at $92.72 Friday, down 0.55%.

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Forget Google Glass, Sony (SNE) - Get Report has filed a patent for smart contact lens. According to IFL Science, users would be able to record and playback video.

Apparently, users can change commands by blinking, making for some serious James Bond-like comparisons. Even crazier? The lens will be able to differentiate between conscious and unconscious blinks, depending on the duration of the blink.

Surprisingly, the device will have its own storage system, and because it has it own display, users would actually be able to re-watch content just by closing their eyes.

The device will also be able to connect to smartphones. Although, it should be noted this possible far-off technology is just a patent filing -- it's not reviewed or approved.

So it will be interesting to see if the device makes it way to consumers' everyday lives.

Shares of Sony closed at $23.87 Friday, down 0.5%.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.