Valuation of debt and equity investments and certain liabilities - Investments at fair value (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 1,199	$ 1,627
Short-Term Investments	2,342us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments	2,202us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Long-Term Investments	224us-gaap_LongTermInvestments	216us-gaap_LongTermInvestments
Proceeds from sales, redemptions and maturities of short-term available-for-sale securities	2,966	4,249	2,198
Aggregate maturities of investments in money market funds and other debt securities classified as available for sale [Abstract]
One year or less	3,121
One to two years	205
Other-than-temporary declines and impairments in investments recognized in other income and expense		5	7
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	984	1,410
Short-Term Investments	2,342	2,202
Long-Term Investments	185	179
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement \| Available-for-sale Securities \| Money market funds
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	522	500
Short-Term Investments	0	0
Long-Term Investments	0	0
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement \| Available-for-sale Securities \| Corporate obligations
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	97	123
Short-Term Investments	390	217
Long-Term Investments	0	0
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement \| Available-for-sale Securities \| U.S. Government agency and Treasury securities
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	365	787
Short-Term Investments	1,952	1,985
Long-Term Investments	0	0
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement \| Trading Securities \| Mutual funds
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Short-Term Investments	0	0
Long-Term Investments	185	179
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement \| Equity-method investments
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Short-Term Investments	0	0
Long-Term Investments	27	24
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement \| Cost-method investments
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Short-Term Investments	0	0
Long-Term Investments	12	13
Portion at Other than Fair Value Measurement \| Cash on hand
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	215	217
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 two years from the balance sheet date and which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Fair value of available-for-sale debt securities maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (a)

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 320

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (a)

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (d)

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- Definition

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash Equivalents

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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).

+ References

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- Definition

This element represents the amount of loss recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of investments in debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.M)

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- Definition

The cash inflow from sales, maturities, prepayments, calls and collections 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.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 12

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Investing Activities

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- Definition

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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph g

-Article 7

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