It all started with this:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/791552
basically, switching toolchain from 4.5 to 4.6, somehow broke usb on omap3.
This morning i tested with linux-linaro-natty:
[flag@newluxor linux-linaro-natty]$ git log --oneline -1 f15fd8f LINARO: Linux-linaro-2.6.38-1002.3
and i can reproduce the problem there too.
Here is some more info (dmesg, toolchain, lsusb, etcetc):
http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/620786/