The only other quick hack is to add the following the following function to your original (without the previous hack) BoardIndex.template file. Just add it above the function template_info_center_below()
function template_info_center_above()
{
global $context, $txt;
if (($key = array_search('recent_posts', $context['info_center_callbacks'])) !== false)
{
unset($context['info_center_callbacks'][$key]);
// Here's where the "Info Center" starts...
echo '
<aside id="info_center_top" class="forum_category">
<h2 class="category_header panel_toggle">
<i id="upshrink_ic2" class="hide chevricon i-chevron-', empty($context['minmax_preferences']['info2']) ? 'up' : 'down', '" title="', $txt['hide'], '"></i>
<a href="#" id="upshrink_link2">', sprintf($txt['info_center_title'], $context['forum_name_html_safe']), '</a>
</h2>
<ul id="upshrinkHeaderIC2" class="category_boards', empty($context['minmax_preferences']['info2']) ? '' : ' hide', '">';
call_template_callbacks('ic', array(0 => 'recent_posts'));
echo '
</ul>
</aside>';
}
}
The collapse / expand icon will not work with this, you would have to add your own JS based on the JS function in the _below function, just renaming some things.