Infinium Labs, the company behind the Phantom games console and broadband content service, yesterday said it had won $5m in funding - money it needs to begin manufacturing its Phantom Lapboard gaming accessory.

Infinium will receive $625,000 when it registers the investment with US regulatory authorities. It can then take some or all the full $5m, of which it will presumably use $2m to fund the production of the Phantom Lapboard - the figure the company said would be needed when it announced the product in late December 2005.

The Lapboard is a wireless keyboard and mouse combo. The keyboard spins round to make it easier to use for both right-handed and left-handed users, and there's a large bay beneath the board in which to store and operate the mouse. It's pitched at gamers and media centre PC owners.

Infinium has claimed the Lapboard will launch some time during the first half of 2006, and said it still plans to launch the on-demand Phantom Game Service at some point in the future. Undoubtedly, new CEO Greg Koler (who was confirmed in the $250,000 per annum plus quarterly 35 per cent performance-related bonus role earlier this month) sees the Lapboard as an opportunity to get Infinium shipping product and making sales to keep the company ticking over while it finalises the Game Service.

The Game Service was originally due to launch in December 2004, and while various release windows have been suggested since, the company has firmly refused to make its launch calendar public. ®