Working under a lighted magnifier, I used a thin but rigid plastic probe on a Playbook's USB port to very gently push the connector down a little. Then I checked that the connector on the USB charger could align with the adjusted connector on the Playbook, and that a connection could be made. When I was sure, I plugged in the USB charger unit to an electric outlet and it started charging up right away. You can also charge the Playbook by using the Blackberry Rapid Charger that connects to the 3 pin charging port that is to the right of the USB port on the Playbook. However if you want to connect the Playbook to a computer you need to fix the USB connector on the Playbook in any case.