Camera problems

I have a bit of a problem here now with respect to this new computer and my camera.

The camera I have is just a small Kodak digital with a few little features, including video but nothing fancy. But it suits my needs because I'm not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination and just wanted a camera that generally takes relatively decent snap shots by which to remember this or that event in my life or of the kids when they are here for a visit or now, with the kitten in the house, an occasional shot of her and her unplayful roommates, Sam and Pearl, who live here too!

This camera in particular though has been unlike the previous little digital unit I had in that it has never been good at holding a charge whereas the other camera I had, I could connect it to the computer, charge it up and it would hold that charge in the batteries for several weeks at a clip. This one -not so much in that I was lucky if I had a charge after a day or two.

But that aspect isn't where my problem now lies with the new computer!

It's that I can't figure out how to charge the camera like I used to be able to do by simply plugging it into a usb port here. Frustrating for me because now my camera is virtually dead to me since I can't get it to charge the way I used to do even if it did only hold that charge for a day or two, at least I could time it enough so as to be able to catch a shot here and there.

So if any one reading this knows anything at all about cameras -Kodak model 340 in particular -and charging one via the computer, please let me know what I'm doing wrong and how to correct this so I can once again use my little camera!