In the midst of making war with Intel, Transmeta has tapped a new CEO. The former chip maker and now chip IP specialist has picked Lester Crudele as its new president and CEO. Crudele takes the helm on Feb 1, when current prez and CEO Arthur Swift steps down.

The CEO shift comes at an odd time.

Last October, Transmeta lobbed a patent infringement lawsuit at Intel, and Intel returned fire this month. Crudele, who has been a Transmeta board member for 18 months, inherits this unpleasant Intel baggage.

He also inherits Transmeta's new focus on semiconductor intellectual property, as opposed to making actual low-power chips.

"Transmeta has made significant progress in the last two years toward building its intellectual property licensing business," Crudele said. "I am excited to have the opportunity to lead a company with such a rich history of technical innovation and look forward to building on that legacy."

Transmeta has a long history of swapping CEOs. ®