If your USB peripheral is on the fritz, it's worth doing some troubleshooting with the port itself. Give these steps a try.
Digital Photography Review on MSN

Canon Camera Connect app: How well does it work?

Easy smartphone connection is one of the most asked-for features we hear when talk to people about cameras, so we thought we’d investigate the current state of all the brands’ apps. Beyond a few ...
Many camera owners don't often interact with their camera's USB port other than when they're looking to charge it. The port is there when the battery dies, and for the most part, it just remains ...
Having seen the first in-the-wild shots of Apple's new Camera Connector Kit for the iPad over the weekend, the feedback now seems even more positive. TUAW have heard that the USB half of the kit, ...
Kyptec Automation® is strengthening its industrial imaging connectivity portfolio with the USB 3.0 Machine Vision Camera Cable developed for reliable communication between compatible industrial ...
So you’ve connected a device to your PC via a USB port — but Windows doesn’t recognize it. What now? Before you assume the product (or your PC port) is broken, there are several USB troubleshooting ...