Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:

Chrome Browser Causing MacBook Air Problems: Users of Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) MacBook Air models that installed Google‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Chrome browsers have been reporting freezes and crashes, according to Gizmodo. Google has admitted the problem and has filed a report with Apple. Google attributed the problem to “a leak of graphics resources” in Chrome and said it was working to resolve the issue, which causes a kernel panic with Intel‘s (NASDAQ:INTC) HD 4000 graphics chip.

Wireless Firms Feared iPhone’s Rise: Concerned that the iPhone’s exploding popularity would give Apple too much leverage, Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T) partnered with Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) to create competing smartphones to balance the market, the Wall Street Journal notes. AT&T approached RIM in 2010 with the idea, even though it was still the exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone. The result was the Blackberry Torch, which was not a hit with consumers. At the time, RIM’s sales team warned that consumers were gravitating toward touchscreen devices, endangering RIM’s position in the market, but RIM management ignored them. RIM recently announced desperation plans to slash 40% of its workforce.

Siri Gets Mixed Performance Review: An analyst with Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) says that Siri isn’t ready to replace text-input Google searches, yet, Apple Insider notes. The analyst submitted 800 voice inquiries to Siri in a noise-controlled room and a similar number on a busy street. He found that Siri comprehended 83% of inquiries made on a busy street with 62% accuracy in results. Comprehension and accuracy were somewhat improved in the quiet room, with Siri comprehending 89% of inquiries made in that environment and accuracy rising to 68%. Manually text-entered Google searches produced results with 86% accuracy.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.