I have the link to xkcd 678 "Researcher Translation" bookmarked for those occasions. Quoting the appropriate row here:

    If a researcher says a cool new technology should be
    available to consumers in... -> what they mean is...
    [...]
    ten years -> "we haven't finished inventing it yet,
                  but when we do, it'll be awesome."

That would be http://xkcd.com/678/

I'm used to hearing that nuclear fusion is going to become mainstream "in 30 years"; I've heard it for ~25 years. If it's 10 years now, some progress has been made.

With all the alternative small fusion reactors I'm taking a strict "show me the energy" approach...

As well you should.

The mainstream magnetic confinement community has been very cautious about overhyping lately. Unfortunately, the over zealousness of groups like this and NIF saps credibility from them anyway.