Google Speech 400 Audio Timeout Error: Long duration elapsed without audio

# Google Speech 400 Audio Timeout Error: Long duration elapsed without audio

## What's going on

I ran the transcribe_streaming_infinite.py sample, left it running for 30 minutes, and got a 400 error: Audio Timeout Error: Long duration elapsed without audio. Audio should be sent close to real time. What does this mean?

## The verified fix

That error is the API telling you the streaming session went quiet for too long. Streaming recognition expects audio to be sent continually, close to real time, so if your mic stream pauses or the sample just idles with no audio for a long stretch, the API times out the request. If you need always-on listening, you have to keep feeding audio and handle reconnects when it times out. If you do not actually need real time results, switch to one of the non-streaming methods, like short or long audio transcription, which do not have this requirement. Source: https://github.com/googleapis/python-speech/issues/209

## How to use this

Take the question above and check if it matches what you're seeing. If it does, work through the verified fix step by step. Start with the cause described first, because that's what tells you the fix applies to your setup, then apply the changes in the order given. Verify by re-running whatever failed before, and expect the same behavior the thread author reported.