That’s a 16 percent spike, a far cry from the flat to five percent increase analysts had been anticipating. And if NPD is accurate, it means Apple has just had its best-ever June quarter for Mac sales.

Add to this indications that sales of the iPhone 3GS are tracking ahead of even Apple’s and AT&T’s expectations–remember, AT&T (T) said this year’s iPhone launch was its best-ever retail sales day and the largest ATT.com order day in the company’s history–and the quarter’s looking pretty damn good, even if the Apple’s iPod business is slowing down a bit.

So what can we expect? Apple (AAPL), known for giving conservative guidance, has said it expects earnings per share of between 95 cents and a dollar. Analysts are more optimistic. Consensus, as reported by Thomson Financial, calls for $1.16 per share. And folks like Andy Zaky over at Bullish Cross are betting on $1.35. Who’s right? We’ll find out tomorrow when Apple reports after market close.

According to data released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Financial, VC investment in New Mexico is up an astonishing 375% from a decade ago, the number of start-ups up 600 percent. Equally as impressive is Pittsburgh, where VC investment is up 513 percent and the number of start-ups is up 267 percent.

Whoa.

As Mark Heesen, president of the NVCA, notes, New Mexico and Pittsburgh are clearly becoming hotbeds of innovation. “For regions that don’t have a large, indigenous venture investor base, it is important to give outside VCs a reason to visit,” he said in a statement. “These unexpected regions are making venture capitalists stand up and take notice.”

They sure are. New Mexico had three start-ups a decade ago. Now it has 21. 21! With new companies springing up willy-nilly like that, how’s a VC not to stand up and take notice?