Phantom Gets $1.3 Million In Lapboard Loan

Following the announcement that original company founder Tim Roberts had officially left the company, Phantom Entertainment has announced a new $1.3 million funding agreement to help launch its wireless lapboard product, while no updates on the company's software service can be found. The $1.3 million loan came from European Investors Linley Management S.A., which the company will use to help manufacture, market, and distribution the Phantom Wireless Lapboard and Phantom Wireless Mouse in the U.S. Europe and Asia. The dual products supplied by the company formerly known as Infinium Labs, which are targeted at least partially at gamers, are a combination wireless keyboard, laser mouse and hard surface for PCs that were first announced by the company at the end of 2005. Officials from Phantom Entertainment announced in November that Alienware had ordered the Phantom Wireless Lapboard and Phantom Wireless Laser Mouse for their Media Center gaming PCs and PC gear product line. In December of last year, company filings showed an investment of $250,000 from Chicago Venture Partners for additional funding to bring the products to market. Though the company reiterated in September that it had plans to switch focus from its former living-room download service hardware unit to a PC-centric service along the lines of Steam intended to launch in the first quarter of this year, no mention or update on the service has been given since. Phantom president and CEO Greg Koler noted that the company "will pursue other applications for the Phantom Lapboard including new digital media centers being developed by companies like Intel and Gateway. We are currently working with distributors, VAR resellers and e-tailers in the U.S, Europe and Asia to initiate marketing, sales and distribution of the Phantom Lapboard."