Valuation of debt and equity investments and certain liabilities (Investments at fair value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Short-term Investments	$ 1,572		$ 1,943
Long-term Investments	239		265
Amounts included in AOCI from available for sale securities: [Abstract]
Proceeds from short-term available-for-sale investments	613	1,111
Aggregate maturities of investments in debt securities classified as available for sale [Abstract] [Abstract]
One year or less	1,849
One to three years	491
Greater than three years (auction-rate securities)	24
Cash and cash equivalents [Member]
Amounts included in AOCI from available for sale securities: [Abstract]
Unrealized gains (pre-tax)	0		0
Unrealized losses (pre-tax)	0		0
Short-term Investments [Member]
Amounts included in AOCI from available for sale securities: [Abstract]
Unrealized gains (pre-tax)	1		0
Unrealized losses (pre-tax)	0		0
Long-term Investments [Member]
Amounts included in AOCI from available for sale securities: [Abstract]
Unrealized gains (pre-tax)	0		0
Unrealized losses (pre-tax)	2		5
Measured at fair value [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	862		620
Short-term Investments	1,572		1,943
Long-term Investments	183		210
Measured at fair value [Member] \| Available-for-sale securities [Member] \| Money market funds [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	69		55
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	0		0
Measured at fair value [Member] \| Available-for-sale securities [Member] \| Corporate obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	168		135
Short-term Investments	152		159
Long-term Investments	0		0
Measured at fair value [Member] \| Available-for-sale securities [Member] \| U.S. Government agency and Treasury securities [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	625		430
Short-term Investments	1,326		1,691
Long-term Investments	0		0
Measured at fair value [Member] \| Available-for-sale securities [Member] \| Auction-rate securities [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	24		41
Measured at fair value [Member] \| Trading securities [Member] \| Auction-rate securities [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0
Short-term Investments	94		93
Long-term Investments	0		0
Measured at fair value [Member] \| Trading securities [Member] \| Mutual funds [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	159		169
Other measurement basis [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	1,193		992
Short-term Investments	1,572		1,943
Long-term Investments	239		265
Other measurement basis [Member] \| Equity-method investments [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	33		32
Other measurement basis [Member] \| Cost-method investments [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	23		23
Other measurement basis [Member] \| Cash on hand [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	331		372
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	$ 0		$ 0

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- Definition

This item represents the fair value of debt securities which are expected to mature after one year and through three years from the balance sheet date and which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

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The cash inflow associated with the sales, redemptions and maturities of debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale securities, excluding cash equivalents.

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This item represents the fair value of debt securities which are expected to mature within one year of the balance sheet date and which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

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This item represents the gross unrealized gains for securities, at a point in time, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

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- Definition

This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. This item includes currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. It also includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits in that the Company may deposit additional funds at any time and also effectively may withdraw funds at any time without prior notice or penalty. Cash equivalents, excluding items classified as marketable securities, include short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash, and so near their maturity that they present minimal risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under that definition. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months.

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- Definition

The total amount of investments that are intended to be held for an extended period of time (longer than one operating cycle).

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Investments which are intended to be sold in the short term (usually less than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) including trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and other short-term investments not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

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