Infinium Labs Signs Lapboard Manufacturer

Officials from Infinium Labs have announced an agreement with hardware manufacturer Itron Technology to manufacture the Phantom Lapboard, a combination keyboard/mouse peripheral for PCs first announced by the company at the end of last year, and clearly targeted at least partially at gamers. "We have selected Itron Technology to manufacture the Phantom Lapboard for distribution in North America and Europe under terms to ship no later than October in time for the holiday shopping season," stated Greg Koler, Infinium Labs' CEO and president. "Itron's strengths as an OEM/ODM manufacturer of keyboards, mice, joysticks and other input devices made it a clear choice for Infinium Labs to meet its 2006 marketing goals." The lapboard is designed to allow full control of the keyboard and mouse without the need to be sitting at a desk. The device rotates for left and right handed users and inclines on a 30 degree angle with a hard surface support for the Phantom mouse. In the press release concerning the lapboard, no mention was made of the Phantom gaming service, whose future is still unclear despite a recent $5 million funding commitment for the company. Infinium Labs seems to have no plans to show the device at E3 this year, as it did in 2005, but instead refers to the lapboard as the firm’s major marketing commitment for the year.