The tip line has been pretty dry lately. Not really a lack submissions, just a lot stuff I can’t use because it has been covered everywhere else, like the multi-touch display. I’m not going to dedicate an entire day to something that’s already been on Engadget, Make, or Slashdot because you guys would be seriously pissed off. Reader tips drive this site and I would like to thank everyone that sends them in. You’re the reason this site stays fresh and original.

The Team Hack-A-Day folding team is looking for ways to boost production (being #47 is pretty good though). If you don’t know what the team is about, [Billy the Impaler] has a Valentine for you: The New & Improved Illustrated Folding@home Guide.

The #hackaday channel is still alive and well on EFnet. More links after the break.

I hired Will O’Brien to write Engadget how-tos with Dave Zatz and me. His first one was this week: How-to:Scale video for better HDTV viewing.

I’m sure I’m not the only dork here waiting for the Penny-Arcade CCG to be released. The website for Sabertooth games promises to send you a free Soul Calibur III and Street Fighter demo deck if you send them an email. It’s to promote their Universal Fighting System, so all of the cards should work together. You could kick Gabe’s ass using Talim; It would break his heart.

[nbalmer]’s Paris Hilton Operation boardgame shocks the player. I’d like to see a guide for scratch-building Operation style games.

[henning] blew up a RAZR.

[Philip Mullis] help set up a wireless link in a really RF unfriendly environment. Nice use of old satellite dishes.

How-to convert S-Video to composite [TGOS]

Did you catch the update to the proximity card spoofer post? Jonathan Westhues’s work was mentioned on CNN.

[Niacin] now has video out working on his MSN TV cluster.

[Paul]’s Zero Footprint PC or what to do when your laptop screen breaks.

[redwolf] fixes the power port on his laptop.

Russia accused Britain of planting a “spy rock” in a Moscow park. [Sean Hillmeyer] decided that the US can’t be left behind in this rock based arms race and built his own.

[Nick]’s Network based IR remote control

[ex-parrot]’s PIC implementation of Donkey Racer

[Matt]’s light-up vintage telephone ringer

[StephenC_IRL]’s PhonEY bluetooth decoy phone

Thanks again to everyone who sends in tips.

UPDATE: Crap, I forgot to include [squidjam]’s experience using Desitin as thermal compound (I didn’t know what it was either):

I recently used Desitin as a substitute to thermal compound in an “el cheapo” generic aircooling system (mega or omega) when the wax that came with it failed to work.

I used a dremel (with the soft polishing and shine tip) to remove all of it from both the heatspreader and the p4 3.06 Ghz. then i applied a generous ammount (no more than 1 mm thick spreaded over the processor) and installed it all.

It worked, the darn thing didn’t go further down from 69 degrees celsius and it went down to a maximum of 52 when doing heavy work.

It works because thermal compound (the white one) is made with zinc oxide