diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 2146d21..ef5a7d7 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 - replace smex with https://github.com/DarwinAwardWinner/amx
 - try to marry amx and marginalia somehow
 - try https://github.com/oantolin/embark
+- check out other vertico extensions
+- play with embark: https://karthinks.com/software/fifteen-ways-to-use-embark/
+- FIXME: orglist mode: not more able to jump word wise with M-<left|right>
diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index d4c54d0..ada6e43 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -152,13 +152,13 @@
 (require 'init-windowmgmt)
 (require 'init-workspaces)
 (require 'init-indentation)
-(require 'init-completion)
 (require 'init-recentfiles)
 (require 'init-ibuffer)
 (require 'init-printing)
 
-;; doesn't work with smex, only after <tab><tab> and shows in another buffer
-;; (require 'init-marginalia)
+;; (require 'init-completion)
+(require 'init-smarter-than-emacs)
+(require 'init-marginalia)
 (require 'init-ui)
 
 
diff --git a/lisp/init-smarter-than-emacs.el b/lisp/init-smarter-than-emacs.el
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cfa17f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lisp/init-smarter-than-emacs.el
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+;;; *** Smarter M-x Mode (smex)
+
+;; This is really cool and I don't know how I could ever live without it.
+;; (use-package smex
+;;              :config
+;;              (smex-initialize)
+;;              (global-set-key (kbd "M-x") 'smex)
+;;              (global-set-key (kbd "M-X") 'smex-major-mode-commands))
+
+
+(use-package vertico
+  :init
+  (vertico-mode)
+  (require 'vertico-directory)
+
+  ;; Different scroll margin
+  ;; (setq vertico-scroll-margin 0)
+
+  ;; Show more candidates
+  ;; (setq vertico-count 20)
+
+  ;; Grow and shrink the Vertico minibuffer
+  ;; (setq vertico-resize t)
+
+  ;; Optionally enable cycling for `vertico-next' and `vertico-previous'.
+  ;; (setq vertico-cycle t)
+
+  :config
+
+  (defun tvd-vertico-jump-home()
+    "quickly go to home via ~ in minibuffer find-file
+via [[http://whattheemacsd.com/setup-ido.el-02.html][whattheemacs.d]]"
+    (interactive)
+    (if (looking-back "/")
+        (progn
+          (backward-kill-sentence)
+          (insert "~/"))
+      (call-interactively 'self-insert-command)))
+
+  :bind (:map vertico-map
+              ("~" . tvd-vertico-jump-home)
+              ("RET" . #'vertico-directory-enter)))
+
+
+
+
+(use-package embark
+  :ensure t
+
+  :bind
+  (("C-." . embark-act)         ;; pick some comfortable binding
+   ("C-," . embark-dwim)        ;; good alternative: M-.
+   ) ;; alternative for `describe-bindings'
+
+  :init
+
+  ;; Optionally replace the key help with a completing-read interface
+  (setq prefix-help-command #'embark-prefix-help-command)
+
+  ;; Show the Embark target at point via Eldoc.  You may adjust the Eldoc
+  ;; strategy, if you want to see the documentation from multiple providers.
+  (add-hook 'eldoc-documentation-functions #'embark-eldoc-first-target)
+  ;; (setq eldoc-documentation-strategy #'eldoc-documentation-compose-eagerly)
+
+  :config
+
+  ;; Hide the mode line of the Embark live/completions buffers
+  (add-to-list 'display-buffer-alist
+               '("\\`\\*Embark Collect \\(Live\\|Completions\\)\\*"
+                 nil
+                 (window-parameters (mode-line-format . none)))))
+
+
+
+;;; *** Smarter Search
+
+;; test, replace isearch-forward-regexp first only.
+;; dir: ivy/
+(use-package swiper
+             :config
+             (setq ivy-wrap t)
+             (global-set-key "\C-s" 'swiper))
+
+
+(use-package orderless
+  :init
+  ;; Configure a custom style dispatcher (see the Consult wiki)
+  ;; (setq orderless-style-dispatchers '(+orderless-consult-dispatch orderless-affix-dispatch)
+  ;;       orderless-component-separator #'orderless-escapable-split-on-space)
+  (setq completion-styles '(orderless basic)
+        completion-category-defaults nil
+        completion-category-overrides '((file (styles partial-completion))))
+
+  )
+
+
+(provide 'init-smarter-than-emacs)
+;;; init-smarter-than-emacs ends here
diff --git a/lisp/init-ui.el b/lisp/init-ui.el
index 41e1ffc..7c50b7e 100644
--- a/lisp/init-ui.el
+++ b/lisp/init-ui.el
@@ -29,26 +29,6 @@
 
 
 
-;;; *** Smarter M-x Mode (smex)
-
-;; This is really cool and I don't know how I could ever live without it.
-(use-package smex
-             :config
-             (smex-initialize)
-             (global-set-key (kbd "M-x") 'smex)
-             (global-set-key (kbd "M-X") 'smex-major-mode-commands))
-
-
-
-;;; *** Smarter Search
-
-;; test, replace isearch-forward-regexp first only.
-;; dir: ivy/
-(use-package swiper
-             :config
-             (setq ivy-wrap t)
-             (global-set-key "\C-s" 'swiper))
-
 
 
 ;;; *** Which Func