Trouble with Intel CS110 USB webcam

[Chris Eubank]

I must be missing something stupid.  Fortunately I have you guys to
turn to, since USB hasn't been one of my strong points :)

I have an Asus a7v-133-C mobo, which has USB enabled in the BIOS.

I can't get this sucker to take a picture.  All I get when I try to is
something like this:
**Output from "streamer -o test.jpeg"
v4l: timeout (got SIGALRM), hardware/driver problems?
ioctl: VIDIOCSYNC(int=0): Interrupted system call
ioctl: VIDIOCMCAPTURE(frame=0;height=120;width=160;format=13): Invalid argument

here is an excerpt from my bootlog, showing that the spca50x driver
seems to be loading correctly:
----------------------------------SNIP-----------------------------------
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: USB Universal Host Controller
Interface driver v2.2
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: uhci_hcd 0000:00:04.2: UHCI Host Controller
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: uhci_hcd 0000:00:04.2: irq 12, io
base 0000d400
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: uhci_hcd 0000:00:04.2: new USB bus
registered, assigned bus num
ber 1
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: hub 1-0:1.0: USB hub found
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: hub 1-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: uhci_hcd 0000:00:04.3: UHCI Host Controller
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: uhci_hcd 0000:00:04.3: irq 12, io
base 0000d000
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: uhci_hcd 0000:00:04.3: new USB bus
registered, assigned bus num
ber 2
Jul 28 18:16:32 localhost kernel: hub 2-0:1.0: USB hub found
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel: hub 2-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel: usb 1-2: new full speed USB device
using address 2
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel: Linux video capture interface: v1.00
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel:
/root/spca5xx-10072004/drivers/usb/spca50x.c: USB SPCA5XX camer
a found. Type Intel Easy PC Camera CS110 (SPCA508+SAA7113?)
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel:
/root/spca5xx-10072004/drivers/usb/spca50x.c: [spca50x_probe:71
54] Camera type YUVY
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel: usbcore: registered new driver spca50x
Jul 28 18:16:33 localhost kernel:
/root/spca5xx-10072004/drivers/usb/spca50x.c: spca5xx driver 0.
50 registered
-------------------------------------SNIP---------------------------------------

has anyone else come across this snag before?  I'm sure it must be
common.  Maybe a kernel upgrade?  I have kernel 2.6.5-1.358

*sigh*