cl wrote, on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:19:06 +0100:

I'm sure lots of minor damage to plug and socket comes from attempts
to push the plug in the wrong way up.

I put a dab of the wife's pink nail polish on the USB top of the
connectors, and, in the case of the less obvious device ports, on the
device itself, where the pink dots are to be visually matched *before*
one plugs in the connector.

So, at least in "my" situation, that's not why the USB nibs are failing.
I think it's a bad batch of cables from Frys.

I found an unopened original cable still in its packaging from Frys
(I had bought about a dozen cables at the same time):
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=124v8ns&s=8

Those cables stink!

Roxgo, http://www.roxgo.com,
Manufactured and exported by Zendex, Inc, South El Monte, CA 91733,
Made in China, UPC 851556004031