Valuation of debt and equity investments and certain liabilities (Investments at fair value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 1,210		$ 992
Short-term Investments	2,451		1,943
Long-term Investments	225		265
Amounts included in AOCI from available for sale securities: [Abstract]
Proceeds from sales, redemptions and maturities of short-term available-for-sale investments	1,639	3,254
Aggregate maturities of investments in money market funds and debt securities classified as available for sale [Abstract]
One year or less	2,758
One to three years	640
Greater than three years	0
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)	0		5
Measured at fair value [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	947		620
Short-term Investments	2,451		1,943
Long-term Investments	158		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	166		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	74		135
Short-term Investments	241		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	707		430
Short-term Investments	2,210		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	0		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	0		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	158		169
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	42		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	25		23
Other measurement basis [Member] \| Cash on hand [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	263		372
Short-term Investments	0		0
Long-term Investments	$ 0		$ 0

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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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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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The cash inflow from sales of all investments, including securities and other assets, having ready marketability and intended by management to be liquidated, if necessary, within the current operating cycle. Includes cash flows from securities classified as trading securities that were acquired for reasons other than sale in the short-term.

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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.

+ References

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