USB Plug Solved
Apple spent a lot of time and money developing their Lightning plug. Its symmetric design means you can't plug it in backwards. My USB cables are not symmetric and it seems that I always plugged them in upside down. The solution that works for me is super low tech yet works surprising well.
Buy a package of color dots or punch them out of colored tape. Place a dot on one face of a USB plug. Then plug it into all computer ports you use. Apply a colored dot on the computer port on the same side as the USB plug. Do the same thing with the other end of the USB cable such that the dot is facing up when plugged in to the device.
This little visual cue is all I need to avoid plugging those cables in wrong.