With just a few more days to go before Apple's iPhone launches in retail branches around the country, it doesn't look like the company's taking any chances.

We've just picked up word that the first shipments of this highly anticipated gadget landed last Sunday at their designated drop-off points, and were subsequently cleared by representatives of the Transportation Security Administration.

All this, under the watchful eye of armed guards.

The shipments were subsequently broken up for their ground transport segment, and were sent out to their corresponding retailer's locations. Apple further informed its retailer crews that starting this Monday, all forms of cameras (including cellphones and notebook-based) would be banned from all of its retail outlets. That's it for the moment - at least we know the units are here, and it'll now be a matter of dressing the stores up for the festivities this Friday, 6:00 p.m.